Born to be Clarity
by avalon.clarity
Summary: Her name is Claire, at least it used to be, before she died. Now its Clarity, and she has weird powers she can't explain. Things become more clear when she meets the 5 Guardians, but she still doesn't understand why she was chosen to help them defeat Pitch and his new "friends". And how can she explain the fact that she likes her polar opposite, Jack Frost, maybe a little too much?
1. The Day I Died

Chapter One

My name is Claire, and I remember the day I died.

I know that sounds strange, but it's completely true. Every time I close my eyes, I see it.

It was almost summertime. I was a freshman at my local high school, and I couldn't wait to get out. My brother was a junior, about to be a senior. He couldn't wait to leave our town; to go to college in some big city with soaring sky rises. We had a lot in common. I longed to travel the world, and yet I had never left California. I'm not complaining. It's beautiful…but when you've lived somewhere your whole life, it becomes less then exotic. We didn't have a dad, and never knew what happened to him. Our mother worked for some high-paying scientific firm.

Fifteen seemed too young to die, but seven is much younger. That was her age, the girl I pushed out of the way. But I'm rambling. Let me start at the beginning.

I was walking home with my brother, laughing about something he had found out at school. There was a family in front of us, a little girl and her parents. The little girl was holding a stuffed rabbit.

They started crossing the street, but the little white glowing person on the sign had turned to a red hand signaling for us to stop. We stopped, continuing to talk, when I heard a wail.

The little girl's rabbit was lying in the middle of the road. She bolted back into the street. As her hand closed around its bedraggled neck, I heard the purring engine of a car. It was bright green. I even remember that detail. I remember that the driver, a middle-aged man, wasn't looking at the road. I don't know if he was texting, or was just distracted, but I knew he was going to keep driving.

The little girl screamed in terror. The bloodcurdling sound drove an icepick into the side of my stomach. I dashed into the middle of the street, my hands outstretched. They connected with her stomach solidly, throwing her backwards. And then I was hit.

I don't remember flying through the air. I don't remember landing down on the hard pavement, or my brother's screams. I don't remember feeling pain.

I just remember waking up bathed in darkness, on an empty street, and the moon speaking to me.


	2. When I Became Clarity

I woke up lying on the cold pavement. It was dark, but there was a full moon up above, casting down light that reflected off the damp ground. I felt alive. Every molecule in my body trembled with energy, in fact. I sat up. I was sure I was dead. Was this the afterlife? Was I a ghost? I looked down at myself and gasped. I was…shimmering, glowing faintly with a soft, yellow light. I was also wearing clothes I definitely would never dream of putting on. That only meant one thing. I really was dead.

The realization hit me like a speeding car. Here I was, sitting alone in the middle of my city. Somewhere, my mother and brother were sitting in shock. My body probably lay in the hospital, ready to be buried. I felt my heart crack in my chest, cold vapor escaping through my lungs. A lump had risen in my throat, and I couldn't force it down, no matter how many times I swallowed. A sob broke through the lump, exploding like a bomb into the silence. Once I had started I couldn't stop. I sat, crumpled, in the middle of the street, tears streaming down my cheeks, my hands shaking because I have nowhere else to put my energy. I was afraid. I didn't know what was going to happen to me.

And then, in the midst of my breakdown, I heard a voice whisper something in my ear. "Hello?" I said, my voice trembling. _Clarity._ The voice said again, but there was no one to speak the words. "Is…is anyone there?" I ask again, looking around. _Clarity._ The voice said again, and my eyes caught the moon. The massive sphere seemed to smile at me. "Is it you? Are you the one speaking to me?" I asked. _Clarity._ He, because I think it's a he, said. "My name is Claire." I say. _Clarity. _He repeated, more impatiently. "Claire." I said fiercely. There was a pause, than he said, _Clarity._ I sigh. "My name is Claire, but if you want to call me Clarity, you can." I say, standing up and wiping my cheeks. I feel a sense of satisfaction from the moon.

I began to walk, aimlessly wandering and thinking. If I was no longer Claire, who was I? Who was Clarity? Why did she glow like sunlight? I caught a glimpse of my reflection and gasped. I was wearing a flowing white top, hanging off my shoulders, blue jeans, and simple gold sandals. Strangest of all, a quiver containing a bow and arrow was slung over my back. I had always hated my red hair for the freckles that came with it, but they were gone, and my hair cascaded in curls to my hips. My skin was a light golden brown, and it seemed to catch light and reflect it back. It was…beautiful.

The sky was getting lighter when I reached my home, determined to see my family, but the sun wasn't quite up yet. I reached my house and climbed in through the ajar window. I heard the sound of sobbing coming from the living room and hurried through the open door.

"Mom, it's okay, it's me, I'm home!" I said happily to her hunched figure. She didn't respond, and her shoulders kept shaking.

My brother walked in, his eyes bloodshot. "Max, it's me. Claire. I know I look different, but it's still me." I said as he walked straight towards me. He kept walking, and in a flash that felt like both fire and ice, passed through me.

I gasped, clutching my stomach. I could feel it, the soft cloth, the hard muscles. A sharp shard of fear entered my heart again. Can anyone see me, or am I stuck this way forever? What did I do so that I deserved this?

I crept out through the window again. The sun was rising, but instead of feeling its warmth, I felt hollow. I was a ghost, doomed to watch everything unfold before my eyes. The sun peeked over the horizon, and I watched the sky turn pink and orange.

That's when something happened, even stranger then everything that had happened so far. A sunbeam shot toward me, a pure ray of light. It reached for me, and, without even knowing why, I reached for it. As we connected, there was a blinding flash of light. It swirled around me, making lines and shapes in thin air. I watched, my mouth dropping, as it collected into one form, one shape. A golden horse stepped out of the light, staring at me with liquid brown eyes. I stretched out a hand for it and it raised two wings from its back. My hand stroked its soft flank. The wings just fit in with the kind of day I was having. I didn't really care.

"Aren't you a beauty?" I whispered softly.

The horse snorted, its hoof pawing the ground. I looked down. A small patch of frost covered the green grass.

"What?" I asked the horse. I swear, I saw exasperation in its eyes. It pawed the ground again.

"Yes, I see the frost. What do you want me to do about it?" I asked.

The horse bent its neck and I felt its nose, velvet-soft, nudge my hand forward, over the patch of grass. I let it stay there, hanging.

"Now what?" I asked, and the horse placed its head onto my shoulder for a moment. In that second, a burst of golden light shot from my palm, hitting the grass. The frost melted away, and the horse lifted its head from my shoulder. The grass has grown at least an inch.

I stared at my hand for several long moments. "Whoa." I said in wonder, looking around. Another patch of frost covered the stems of a flower. I pointed my hand at it and concentrated. Without effort, a beam hit the leaves. A flower has blossomed from the still closed bud.

"This is so cool!" I exclaimed, and the horse seemed to snicker at me. "Where did you come from?" I asked it, and its head bowed. "You don't know? I don't know what's going on either." I said, sitting down on a rock. There is an extended silence, in which the horse bends its head and begins eating the grass.

"Well, if we're stuck like this, I should probably give you a name." I said, and the horse stared at me. "If my name is Clarity now, should you be something similar? How about Peace?" I suggested. The horse shook its head. "Love, Hope, Unity, Faith, Liberty, Lucky…" I railed off a list, but at every one, the horse ventured further away, exploring new patches of fresh food. "Honor, Joy, Victory, Truly…" I said, and the horse's head shot up.

"Honor?" I asked. No response.

"Joy?" Nothing.

"Victory?" The horse looked impatient at this point.

"Truly? Really?" I said. It was a strange name, but…Truly bobbed its head.

"I should probably find out if you're a boy or not," I said. "Nod if you're a boy, shake if you're a girl." The horse nodded its head unmistakably.

"Well, at least I know something about you, Truly, can I call you True?" I said. "I'm Clarity, I'm a girl, in case you hadn't noticed, and I don't know why I'm alive. I also heard the moon talking to me, if that makes sense. My family can't see me. They just passed right through me." I stopped talking for a moment to collect myself. True breathed on my face, and I smiled in spite of the turbulent emotions whirling around my head. I stood up again and placed my hand on True.

"Apparently I can make, heat? No," I shook my head with True. "Plants growing, heat, sunbeams…sunlight? That's not it either?" I sighed. "This conversation is very one-sided." I said. "If it's not heat or sunlight…does it have something to do with the seasons? Summer?" True seemed to smile at me. "So I have…summer powers. What is this for then?" I reached for the bow and removed it from the quiver. True looked at me with the expression of, _you'll have to figure out that on your own._ "Helpful." I retorted.

True shook himself slightly and stared at me. "What?" I asked, and he tossed his head. "I don't understand." I said uncertainly, and he tossed his head again, gesturing to his back. "Riding you? Now?" I asked, and he dipped his head. "Okay, okay." I said, gripping a fistful of flaxen hair in my hand.

A few minutes and three tries later, and I was sitting above the ground on True's back. "Um, I don't think I can do this." I said. True ignored me, walking forward resolutely. In a second, he was going faster, his feet moving at a smooth pace. "I'm serious, stop." I said, but he didn't. His wings were beating, thrusting us upward, and as I watched the ground, it sailed away. I couldn't scream as we flew into the cold of the morning, only watch in amazement, as the entire city was made clear. The view was so spectacular, I forgot about my fright.

"This is amazing!" I shouted as we soared forward. A low-hanging cloud obscured my view, and I waved my hand at it carelessly. It dissipated, dissolving into the air. "Wow." I said, as we flew over the river. True snorted, and I looked at him. Then, without warning, we dived. I screamed, the sound ripping from my lungs, my heart racing with adrenaline. My stomach rose to my throat, but I had stopped screaming. I was laughing. The wind whistled in my ears, bringing tears to my eyes. I had never felt so complete, so alive.

That was a month ago. I discovered so much since then: my abilities for bringing summer, changing the weather, making portals so I could travel the world freely. I learned to read True's feelings like an open book, and found out about my abilities to create instantaneous love with my bow and arrow, like some kind of cupid. I created fantastic days for the children to play in. Those parts were fun.

But it wasn't all sunshine and happiness. I had nightmares of my death every night, of my family fading from my memory. I watched their every move, my own funeral, my brother slowly becoming distant from the outside world, my family seeming to break apart. I got angry over how unfair it was that they had to suffer, and flames erupted from my palms, like the sun had become angry. It frightened me that I had that power to destroy as well as bring life. And the whole time, a seed of sadness had been planted in my soul, sorrow that I had died, grief that my brother was withdrawing, and, deeper then that, a lingering hopelessness that no one, _no one,_ could see me. The children I created beautiful days for, the broken hearts I had mended, the people meant to be I had brought together. None of them saw me, and I didn't no why, or what it meant. It just hurt.


	3. The Boy Who Laughs

_Jack Frost's POV_

I laugh as I spiral wildly through the air, the wind buffeting me from side to side. This may be my least favorite time of year, but it doesn't mean I can't have some fun. I dive into Paris, the sun brightly shining and the temperature high. "Time for a little wind." I say, and a freezing blast of air shoots me even lower.

I soar around the Eiffel Tower, making the tourists shiver. "When did it get so cold?" One exclaims. "When I arrived." I say to him, but he doesn't notice. He's an adult, so of course he wouldn't.

Frost blooms on the buildings, and a man reading a magazine curses as it is ripped from his hands. The grass is crystallized perfectly in ice casing. A kid grabs his mother as he sees me, gibbering in French, and I wave before disappearing.

_Clarity's POV_

A blast of cold wind nearly knocks me off True's back. "Where did that come from?" I say bitterly, and True wheels around in the air. I scan the sky. It's still blue, but the wind still blows.

Then, I see him, wheeling through the air freely, diving around the Seine. "Go after him!" I shout, and True propels forward. I crouch down on his neck, becoming more aerodynamic. "Faster." I command, and True dives, his hooves sinking into the river. The spray soaks me, but I don't care. I keep my eyes trained on the figure still flying ahead of me. We're catching up when I notice the ice crystals floating on the surface of the river. My hand brushes them, and they dissolve.

"Hey!" I shout to the boy. "Who are you?" The boy glances back, and I catch a flash of white teeth before he speeds up again, flying into the sky and doing a somersault. "Follow him." I say to True, who snorts at me. We shoot upward.

The boy seems to be taunting us, doing wide flips and turns. We follow him, getting close, but not close enough. I hear laughter echoing on the wind, and I smile. The boy does a loop-de-loop, and before I can react, True follows his trail. I yell as we flip upside-down. My knees grip True's sides tightly and my hair hangs from my head. The boy laughs again as we finish, a few meters away. "Who are you?" I shout over the increasing wind. He doesn't answer, just smiles and wheels away. True banks without a word from me.

The boy is far below us I notice a cloud hanging low in front of us, the only one for miles. "True, I have an idea. Hide in the cloud." I say. True speeds up, and we're engulfed in white. "Okay…" I swing my leg over his back, and he whinnies loudly. "Catch me!" I yell, and I let go.

I plummet out of the cloud, my arms and legs outstretched in the sky. I see the boy directly below me, and smile. I have faith in True's abilities. I've practiced this stunt before, but my heart rate peaks every time. The boy gets closer and closer, completely unaware, and I smile. "Look out!" I shout, and he flips around.

His stunned expression perfectly sums up how I would feel in his position. He twists out of the way right before I crash into him, and I laugh. The ground zooms closer and closer, and I prepare for the landing. Like clockwork, True zooms under me with a golden flash, and I set down lightly on his back. We wheel into the sky again, the boy nowhere in sight.

"Okay, you convinced me." A voice says in my ear, and I jump in surprise as True shies in midair. "You want to talk now?" The boy says as we turn to face him. True shakes his head violently, his tail swishing from side to side.

"Why wouldn't you just talk to me in the first place?" I ask. My heart is still racing from the jump, but I'm kind of annoyed.

"Where's the fun in that?" He says.

"So taking me on a tour of Paris while I'm trying to talk to you, that's fun?" I ask.

"I thought so. Nice stunt, by the way. I couldn't pull that off." He says.

"Thanks." I say warily. "Who are you, anyway? And how can you see me?" I ask. Now that I have the chance to look, the boy seems older, closer to my age. A shock of messy, wind-tousled white hair stands straight up on his head, sitting above shining, blue eyes. Frost lines lace across his navy blue sweatshirt, and his brown pants sit at least half a foot above his bare feet.

"Do people not see you normally?" He asks.

"Never. They just…pass through me. Like I don't exist." I say. The boy looks at me with pity in his eyes, and I harden instantly. I don't want his sympathy, I just want answers. For a few minutes, I had forgotten the seed of pain, but his look brings it back.

"If you're not going to tell me who you are, I'm leaving." I say shortly, and True turns slightly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait." I feel his hand grab my sleeve and recoil. His hand is ice cold, even through my shirt. "I'm sorry I brought it up, okay? I know that can be a sensitive subject." He says, removing his hand. "My name is Jack Frost."

I stare at him in disbelief for a second. "Jack Frost? The myth?" I ask.

"The one and only." His smile is back on his face. "Bringer of winter, snowball fights, chilly winds…"

"Okay, I get it. But you don't exist." I say.

He shrugs in response. "If I don't exist, then you don't exist either." He says.

I look at him, casually waving a long staff he carries, creating snowflakes that fall on the town below. "Okay, let's just say that I believe you. What are you doing here? What am I doing here?" I ask.

"Well, personally, I'm a Guardian. I help protect all the children in the world." Jack says. "There are other spirits like you though, ones who just do their thing without having those kinds of responsibilities. That was me a year ago."

"Guardian? What's a Guardian?" I ask.

Jack stares at me with skepticism. "You haven't been around very long, have you?" He asks.

"About a month." I say, and his mouth drops open.

"A month? The youngest spirit I know of is the groundhog, and he's over two hundred." Jack says.

I stare at him closer. "How old are you?" I ask.

"Three hundred and fifty give or take a few." Jack says, and it's my turn to look surprised. "As long as you know what you can do with your powers, you should be fine. You'll figure it out with time." He adds.

"So these Guardians. Who are they?" I ask him as we slowly drop in elevation, toward a wide, flat building. "They're protectors, like I said. Right now, there are five. Me, Sandman, North, Bunny, and Tooth." He says.

"So, Jack Frost, the Sandman, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. They all exist?" I ask.

"Yep. We all work together to make sure children stay innocent and unharmed." Jack says.

"And, are there threats to that?" I ask.

"One. His name is Pitch Black, the Boogeyman. We defeated him though. It's been pretty peaceful lately." Jack says, and I nod as we touch down gently.

"What can you do, magical-power-wise?" Jack asks, and I jump off True.

"Go get some food." I tell him, and he takes off. I face Jack. "Well, there's Truly, who appeared when I did." I start, and Jack snickers. "What?" I ask.

"You named your horse Truly?" He asks.

"No." I say. "He named himself Truly." Jack stops laughing, but there's still a smile etched on his face. "As far as I know, I can create sunlight, make it more summery with the weather, and make these portals to move from place to place." I say.

"And the bow and arrow?" Jack asks, and I instantly blush.

"Oh, those? You know, just, making couples, bringing people together, stuff like that." I say, and Jack's smile gets wider.

"So, you're Cupid. Is that your name?" He asks annoying, and I scowl.

"No, that's not my name. And whatever you say, I'm not Cupid. I'm just making the world a better place. It's not just making people fall in love. I've brought home people from war, helped people make friends or stand up to bullies." I say.

"Okay, okay, I see your point." Jack glances at the horizon. "So, we're like polar opposites." He says.

"Looks like it." I say back.

"Well, you know what they say," he says, "opposites attract. I have a feeling we could be great friends."

I look at him with skepticism. "I'll be your friend if you stop ruining beautiful days in Paris." I say with only a touch of seriousness. He smiles wider. "I've got to fly, but we should continue this talk sometime." I nod as he steps to the edge of the roof. He hops over the side, and I look out at the sky, expecting him to appear. His head rises over the edge again. "I almost forgot." He says. "If your name isn't Cupid, what is it?"

"Clarity." I say, and he smiles before falling backward. "Nice to meet you, Clarity." He says, zooming away, and I smile. "Nice to meet you too." I say quietly before turning and sitting on the corner of the building, my feet dangling over the edge.


	4. A Chance Meeting With Fear

**REVIEW please!**

I stay there for another hour before True returns. His mouth is still churning up the remnants of someone's lawn. "Hey, buddy." I say tiredly. "Let's go home." I swing onto his back, and focus on my palm. A glowing sphere of yellow light appears, levitating above my skin. An image of my city swirls in its center. I throw the ball into the air in front of us, and a whirlpool appears. True canters forward into it, and in a flash, I can see my home, my old bedroom window.

I'm too late to see the yellow sand that usually trickles in through windows, creating peaceful dreams. Now I know its source is Sandman. True touches down so that I can indulge myself once again.

I stare into the window and see my mother, asleep on the couch, a blanket tucked around her chin, looking so peaceful. I move down to my brother's window. It's always open, to let the balmy night breeze echo in. Sometimes I wonder if he knows that I visit him. I slip in with the wind, silently.

He sleeps calmly tonight, more calmly then normal. "Hey, Max." I whisper. "It's Claire. How was your day?" I know how his day was. He spent it drifting listlessly from place to place, ignoring his friends and teachers and mother.

"Mine was interesting. I met someone. He says he's Jack Frost. Isn't that crazy? He says that all those childhood fantasies, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, they're all real. You were the one who told me they weren't. He told me about being a Guardian, and protecting people. If I were a Guardian, would I be able to help you?"

I watch him sleep for a moment. The moon streaming in through the window lights up his face, making him look almost happy. Then, his face contorts in an unmistakable look of pain. The moon vanishes. I jump to the window, looking out. A black shadow on top of the neighbor's home blocks it out. I jump out the window, and True nickers at me. "Come on." I say quietly to him, mounting quickly, and we soar silently to the roof. As soon as we land, the black shape turns and faces me. True's head tosses back wildly. "It's okay." I say to him, taking a closer look at the figure. It becomes clearer as a human-shaped person dismounts from a black horse. The person comes closer to me, and my glow illuminates his face.

I gasp in shock as the person smiles wickedly, teeth like points gleaming in the light. His skin is gray, his chin pointed, his black hair slicked back. He wears robes of black that trail behind him. His horse strides silently behind him, its eyes glimmering like flames, its coat a sparkling back. Its mane is made of sharp spikes, its tail smoke.

"Hello," The figure says, and I've drawn my bow, an arrow fitted to the string.

"One move closer and this goes through you." I say defiantly, my fingers gripping the bow so hard I wonder why it doesn't break.

"There's no need for that. I'm not here to harm you." The man says.

"Then who are you? Or should I say, what are you?" I ask, not relaxing my guard. True has his teeth bared at the other horse still, all his muscles tense.

"Oh, you haven't heard of me? That seems rather common these days, unfortunately. My name…is Pitch Black." He says, and I stiffen. "So you _have_ heard of me. Guess I can throw the plan of convincing you to join me out the window." Pitch Black says silkily.

"You should. I thought you were gone, defeated." I say, and he smiles.

"You can't kill fear, Clarity." He says, and a chill travels up my spine.

"How do you know my…?" I trail off as he laughs.

"I know everything there is to know about you, Clarity. I know what you fear most. I know what you nightmare when you fall asleep. I create them. And since you've heard about me, probably from a _Guardian_," he spits out the word, "you can deliver a message. I won't be vanquished this time. At the same time you were created, some of my old friends were waking from a long sleep. We will destroy your powers, raze the earth where you would take refuge, destroy every chance you have of winning." His voice gets angry at the end, guttural and coarse.

I collect my breath, my lungs heaving. "Why me? Why choose me to deliver your message?" I ask.

"You'll find out soon enough. Just answer me this," Pitch says, and he mounts again with a sweep of his black robes, "why did you not tell your new friend about the destruction you can bring?" Before I come up with an answer, they dissolve into black smoke.

"No! Wait! Who are your friends? What are you planning?" I shout at thin air. Nothing responds, and I realize my hands are frozen to my bow. I unbend my fingers with difficulty, stretching out the joints one by one. The bow slides back into my quiver, and I lean over True's neck, looking into his eyes. He blinks slowly. "I know. This is bad. I don't know what to do." I say. True glances up, and I follow his gaze. His eyes are fixed on the moon, and I sigh. "He won't help me. He never has, he never will." I say, and we fly off.

_Jack's POV_

The wind carries me wherever I want to go, but right now, that's home. Burgess, where I was made immortal, where I found my first believer, and where the Guardians defeated Pitch for the last time.

The lights are twinkling in windows, but it's much too late to see Sandy's dreams filtering through the air into children's windows. I land precariously on an electricity wire, freezing it below my feet. The night is warm, too warm for me. But hey, I made a promise. It is May after all, a little late for snowstorms. I breathe on the air around me, chilling it to just the right temperature before sitting down. The wire is easy to balance on, easy to lie back on and fall asleep. That's where I close my eyes.

But I can't sleep. Summer makes me restless. There's nothing for me to do. I can't stand going to the North Pole; it's always cold and snowy there, so normal that no one thinks it's fun anymore.

When I do drift off, it's not peacefully. I have nightmares, ones that I haven't had in a year, since I drove out my fear and Pitch with it. I'm bathed in fire, fire streaming from nowhere. "Jack!" My sister's voice cries out, but I can't see her through the smoke. I'm trapped, helpless in this world of my own making. And that's how I know something terribly wrong.

I jerk awake, forgetting where I am for a second. My arms flail wildly as the wire bounces underneath me, and my staff clatters to the street below me. In a moment, I lose the battle of keeping my balance and tumble off the wire. The street meets myself in a second.

I groan in pain, picking myself up and brushing off my clothes. My staff lies only a few feet away; I pick it up and straighten stiffly.

"That's going to hurt in the morning." A familiar voice says behind me. I immediately spin, a spike of frost shooting from my staff. But there's nothing there.

I dismiss it as an overactive imagination, but my hands still clench my staff. Frost spreads outward from my feet.

"Just tell yourself I'm not really here, Jack. After all, nightmares are all in your head, aren't they?" The voice says again from the other direction, and I whirl around. Another frost spire flies into the darkness.

"I'm not here to fight you, Jack." A shadow elongates along the opposite wall, and I face it head-on.

"We defeated you! You're gone." I shout at it, and its mouth opens wide in a bone-chilling laugh.

"You can't kill Fear! I've told you before!" The voice shouts back, and a figure appears from the shadows, seeming to float towards me, his feet covered by the black robes he always wears.

"But we can make you weak." I say, holding my staff at the ready. Pitch laughs joyously.

"Oh, it's going to be so fun, this little game we're playing. You see, it's not just me anymore. I've awoken some friends of mine, and they've been quite willing to help me. We feed off despair and war. And the war that's coming, well," he smiles wickedly, "let's just say the annihilation that follows will ensure that you are weak forever. No child will ever speak your names again when I'm through with them."

At his last words, a bolt of ice propels toward his face, drawn from my anger. He dissolves like ash before it touches him, his smile lingering for a moment longer.

"Damn." I curse, pacing angrily. There's only one thing I can think of to do. "Wind?" I question, and it picks up again. "Take me to North." I say, and I'm picked off my feet, no longer tossed like a leaf, but speeding like a torpedo into the sky.


	5. The Moon Who Speaks to Some

_Jack's POV_

The wind is getting colder the farther north I am carried. The wind, stinging to an ordinary human's eyes, didn't affect mine. I could see North's palace ahead, the yetis patrolling the outside to prevent intruders. But I'm allowed in now. One of privileges of being a Guardian. I zoom past Phil, who glares at me with his brown eyes, and land in the middle of the main room. The globe slowly rotates up ahead. It looks normal, no lights flickering, no strange phenomenon interrupting its cycle. But I know something's gone wrong.

"Jackie!" The booming voice with its Russian accent echoes through the chamber.

The massive figure comes around the corner at lumbering speed. "It's been while. Winter Solstice, I believe." North says, and I feel his massive arms envelope me. The air squishes out of my lungs with a whoosh and I strain against his muscles futilely.

"Easy, easy." I gasp, and he sets me down.

"So good to see you." He says with a wide smile before his eyes get big. "Jack, what is it? There is no sign of your usual joking."

I take a deep breath. "Call the other Guardians." I say forcefully, and North's eyebrows rise.

"Why, I ask?" He asks, his arms crossing so the two tattoos of Naughty and Nice are displayed clearly.

I inhale again, unsure of what to say yet needing to speak. Finally, I open my mouth. "We're in trouble again. I'm not sure what kind, but we need everyone here yesterday. Pitch is back."

My voice is grave enough to call attention, and North's forehead wrinkles. He turns and I see his hand close around a handle, twisting it before pushing it into the control panel firmly.

Immediately, ribbons of green, purple, and red lights begin emanating out from the giant globe, heading in all directions. They move fast, faster then I would expect.

I jump as North puts his hand on my shoulder. "Jack, tell everything. Tell everything you know."

_Clarity's POV_

"I don't understand." I say to True, who is half-asleep. We are outside on the grass, a place I call home, I guess. He blinks at me crossly, and I fall silent. But my mind teems with too many questions.

"It just doesn't make sense." I burst out, and True stomps his foot angrily. "I mean, what are the chances I meet Jack Frost and Pitch Black in one day after a month of nothing?" I continue, ignoring True.

I begin pacing from side to side, my mind racing over possibilities, solutions, anything. A puff of warm air on my hand makes me freeze. True is staring at me with concerned eyes, and as I watch him, he exhales again.

"You're right." I say, sitting down. "I need to calm down. I'm sure everything will work out." True bobs his head and closes his eyes.

"It's just…" I trail off, unwilling to voice my fears because that means admitting they exist. "I don't want to fall asleep. I don't want to face the nightmares."

I can almost hear True's exasperation through the flicking of his ears. "I don't suppose you get nightmares." I retort, and he heaves out a massive breath. A moment later, his knees buckles, and he folds in on himself, lying down ungracefully next to me. I shift over so I am resting against his stomach, and his head nudges my shoulder comfortingly. I smile.

"I love you too." I whisper as I close my eyes.

_Jack's POV_

I crouch in silence on a desk cluttered with blocks of ice and half-finished toys. The others should be arriving soon.

The first arrival is Bunny, boomerangs strapped at the waist. He pops out of a hole in the ground, which snaps shut behind him. A bright fuchsia flower sprouts where it was.

"What is it?" He asks right away. "What's the call for?"

"Wait until others get here. I only want to explain once." North orders, and Bunny sniffs.

"They'd better hurry up." He remarks as a jewel-toned body flits through an open window.

"I'm here, I'm here, what is it?" Tooth chitters, a flock of her helpers already swooping around me.

"Jack!" She exclaims, and she pulls me into a tight hug. "I've missed you, and your teeth! How are they?" She asks.

"Fine." I say with a smile.

"I haven't seen you in forever." She says, and Bunny snorts indignantly.

"What am I, invisible? I haven't seen you in four months either." He says, and Tooth smiles.

"I missed you too, Bunny." She says, wrapping her arms around him. He smiles widely.

"Where's Sandy?" North asks, and a golden horse soars in through the window. Sandy floats off, smiling sleepily.

The horse has wings, strongly reminding me of Clarity's horse, Truly. I wonder if Sandy somehow knows about her as well. Thinking of her makes a thought occur to me. _I should warn her about Pitch, warn her to lie low._ I don't know why I feel like I need to protect her. Maybe it's because she's only a month old, I don't know. But I make a promise to alert her to the danger.

"Jack, tell them what you told me." North orders, and I look around at my friends, meeting all their eyes in turn; North's big blue ones, Bunny's green now narrowed in questioning, Tooth's fuchsia-violet, sparkling, and Sandy's, gazing warmly at me like melted chocolate.

"This is going to sound crazy." I say.

"Not the best way to start out a report, mate." Bunny says, and I glare at him.

"I was in Burgess, resting, when something happened. I had a nightmare." I say, and their eyes get wide, all except for North's. "It was…frightening. I woke up, and when I did, Pitch was there. He said there was war coming, and that this time he had help. Some friends of his who had just woken up. Before I could attack, he disappeared."

They all stare at me in silence.

"You're sure, Jack. That's exactly what he said." Bunny asks.

"Yes, I'm sure! We have to do something." I say vehemently.

Tooth stops fluttering above our heads and lands softly. "Pitch alone is bad enough, but with help? We barely defeated him last time. How are we going to do it now?" She asks.

"Maybe Manny will help us. Manny?" North calls through the window. Nothing appears there, no luminous, guiding orb. "Man in Moon?" He calls again, more desperately.

"It's almost noon. Let's give him until nightfall." I suggest, and North sighs.

"It's probably best. We all should rest while we can. Get sleep for what is to come." He says, and we split off, quietly.

As I watch everyone trail away to their own, private rooms within North's palace, I feel a stab of loneliness that I haven't felt in a year. "Jack." North's voice, unusually subdued, calls for me.

"Hmm?" I ask.

"I will show you to your room. Follow." He says, and I walk in his wake. Everything seems too quiet, the elves not scurrying around frantically anymore, no yetis in sight.

"I hope you like. I prepared it specially." North says proudly as he opens the door. A four-poster bed is set against one wall, covered with a bedspread patterned with frost. The drapes on the window are frozen solid, and the fire is not roaring. It's perfect.

"Thanks." I say, striding in and dropping my staff on the cold flagstones.

"Jack," North squeezes in behind me, "do not worry. We will defeat Pitch."

"I'm not worried." I protest.

"Then why the sadness? You are the Guardian of Fun, Jack. Leave to us to be serious." North says with a smile.

I turn to face him. "I got it, North. Thanks." I say gratefully, and he squeezes out the doorway again.

I collapse on the bed, exhausted but not wanting to close my eyes. Every time I blink it gets harder to open them again. Finally, after what seems like hours, I give in.

"Jack. Jack! Wake up!"

My eyes blink open groggily, and I feel a hand close tightly around my shoulder. Instinctively, my other hand whirls around, pushing my assailant away. There is a sharp gasp, and I rub my eyes. Tooth comes into view, against the opposite wall. She's rubbing her arm.

"Tooth. Oh, I'm so sorry. I was surprised." I jump up, running to her side.

"I'm fine." She says, but I can see shock on her face. "We have to hurry. The others are waiting." She hurries out the door, her wings fluttering.

As soon as I step outside, a flying bullet attacks my face, peeping insistently. Her sharp beak jabs my cheek, and I wince. "Ouch, get off, get off!" I bat my hands at the little creature. "Baby Tooth, stop." I say again, and she pauses, still chirping angrily.

"It's fine, Baby Tooth. I'm okay." Tooth says, and Baby Tooth glares at me before whirring to her mother's side. I rub the place where she pecked me and walk after them, absentmindedly making frost flowers on the flagstone wall.

"Finally! We've been waiting for almost ten minutes." Bunny says impatiently.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I didn't realize we were on a timed schedule." I say sarcastically.

I look up at the sky through Man in Moon's window. Nothing's there. "It doesn't matter if we were late. He's not here." I say.

"Manny will come, I know it." North say faithfully. And so we wait. Five minutes stretches into ten, which in turn stretches to an hour. I begin yawning, my sleep interrupted. Tooth is curled up in a chair, and I can't tell if she's awake or sleeping.

Finally, Bunny shouts. "Look who's here, mates! Now we'll finally get some answers."

Tooth jerks upright and stares at the gap in the ceiling. Sandy watches intently as well. I try to maintain my casual appearance, but it's hard to contain my excitement.

"Manny! What news you bring?" North shouts, and Moon shines down on a patch of ground where strange symbols are embossed. Nothing happens for a moment.

Then, in the utter stillness, I hear a rumbling, stone scraping against stone, as a door smoothly slides open. A pedestal is rising from the gap in the stone. "What!" North says, his voice hardly more then a whisper.

"What? What is it?" I ask, and Tooth becomes completely frozen in place.

"Manny is selecting a new guardian!" North says, still sounding star struck.

"Why? We already have this guy wandering around. We don't need another newbie on the job. Trust me, one is enough." Bunny says.

"It's nice to know you have faith in me." I say to him, and he opens his mouth to say more. Tooth shushes both of us, her eyes glued to the massive shard of crystal attached to the top of the glowing column.

"Oh, I hope it's a girl." She says.

"I said it last time, and I'll say it again. Please not the Groundhog. Although I don't see why we need help." Bunny says.

"Pitch has friends this time, remember? We are lucky to get new Guardian." North tells him.

"So this is how you found out about me, huh?" I ask.

"I preferred the groundhog to you." Bunny says.

A column of blue-white light is rising from the crystal spike, a figure becoming clearer and clearer. Our mouths are all open in a small o as the figure finally appears and…

"Who's that?" Bunny asks.

"I…I don't know." North says, sounding completely bewildered.

My stomach has dropped like a boulder into my toes. I stare at the image in shock, disbelief. It can't be, it's just not possible.

"Jack? Are-are you alright?" Tooth asks hesitantly.

"Fine. It's just…I know her." I say, circling the image.

"No point in asking her to be a Guardian. If she's met him, she'll want nothing to do with us." Bunny jokes. I don't laugh.

"Her name is Clarity. The reason none of you know her is because she only came into our world a month ago." I say.

"A month? What is the Man in Moon thinking?" Bunny asks incredulously.

"He must have very good reason, Bunny. Jack, what do you know?" North asks.

"She doesn't deserve what she's about to go through." The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them. The other Guardians stare at me in shock and I shake my head furiously.

"Sorry, I'm just…shaken. I didn't expect to see her." I apologize, than I smile.

"You'll like her, Bunny." I say, and his eyes widen. "She's a summery kind of gal."


	6. Never Wanted This

**Please review! I would be eternally grateful (if it sounds like i'm begging, i am). **

_Clarity's POV_

_I scream as I plummet through the air, the ground approaching too fast. I can't speak or move, just watch as the tops of the trees appear out of the shapeless mass. Just as I close my eyes and prepare for mind-numbing pain, something zooms upward, slowing my downward spiral. _

_"Miss me?" A familiar voice says and I look into the cyan eyes of Jack Frost._

I wake up, gasping, my body drenched with sweat. My eyes shoot open and look around at the lightening sky. I feel like I'm crawling out of my skin.

"True, come on. Let's get out of here." I say. There is no response from True.

"True?" I look around, turning in circles, but no flash of gold meets my eyes. "True!" I shout, and I hear a laugh.

Jack Frost swings down from a nearby tree by his knees, smiling widely. "Don't worry, he's safe." He says warmly.

"What the hell have you done with him?" I ask furiously, striding forward, but my hands don't reach for my bow yet.

His eyes sparkle for a second, and the corner of his mouth turns up mischievously. "Sorry about this. It's really the best way to travel." He says.

"What?" I ask, and I hear a loud crunch behind me.

I spin to face two massive creatures, at least eight feet tall, covered in fur, and my mouth drops. One reaches a paw the size of my head towards me, and I run, my legs sprinting away. The beast grunts loudly, something closes around my feet, and my knees connect solidly, and excruciatingly, with the hard ground. The breath goes whooshing out of my lungs in one painful exhale. I wheeze frantically, shock waves still reverberating from where I hit the ground. Two hands pick me up off the floor, holding me gently. It's the two beasts, Jack standing behind them, leaning casually on his staff.

"What do you want with me?" I breath out, my words a whisper.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. You shouldn't have tried to run." He says. "I know you prefer flying, I do to, but portals are the fastest way."

"To where, exactly?" I ask.

"The North Pole." He answers, and one of the monsters pulls out a glass ball. He grunts at it and throws it into the air. It disappears, a spinning portal appearing in its place. The beasts charge at it, carrying me between them. I close my eyes as we enter, able to see the blinding light even with my eyelids closed. In a flash, I feel my feet on solid ground, and I open my eyes, blinking away spots floating around my vision.

I hear the pad of light footsteps behind me, and I whirl around, yanking my arms from the grips of the monsters. The palm of my hand connects solidly with the side of Jack's face before they grab me again.

"What the hell was that for?" He shouts at me.

"Oh, I don't know, kidnapping me! Taking me somewhere I don't want to be!" I shout back angrily. My glow is flaring brighter as my temper rises.

"I told you, you shouldn't have tried to run. The yeti would have taken care of you. There's no need to get overemotional." Jack says, his hand on his face.

"Overemotional?" I ask incredulously. His words process fully in my brain, and I stare at him with wide eyes. "Did you just say _yeti_?" I ask.

"Yeah. I'll tell them to let you go if you promise not to slap me again." Jack says bitterly.

"Fine. I promise. Happy?" I say quickly. Jack nods, and my arms are released.

I look at his face. There's a red mark where I hit him, and I feel a little snowball in my stomach. I can't believe I feel guilty, but I do. My luminosity is calming down to its normal faint shimmer, and I inhale deeply.

"I'm sorry I hit you. I guess I was overreacting a bit." I say to him, and he looks at me with a faint smile.

"A bit?" He asks, and I hear a whinny from somewhere in the halls, accompanied by the sound of charging hooves and shouts of, "I lost him!"

"Um," I say to Jack, "you may want to get behind me." His forehead creases and he moves behind me. A golden streak is galloping toward me, at full speed.

"True, stop!" I command, but he doesn't. I raise my hands to stop him from charging straight through me to Jack. There's a flap, and he's soaring over my head.

"Hey!" Jack shouts, and I spin a second too late to stop True from plowing into him.

"True, I'm okay!" I plead as Jack is thrown back several feet. True lands in front of me, plodding forward. Jack scrabbles backwards, his hands closing around his staff. He stares straight at True, who looks at him. A hoof descends on Jack's chest, but I can see it still rising and falling.

"True, please, stop. He's a friend." I say. True's head gets closer to Jack's and I see Jack's widen. Their faces are inches apart when True opens his mouth. I can hear the exhale as he blows on Jack's face. True's hoof rises off Jack's chest and he turns, walking steadily back to me.

He head-butts me firmly on my shoulder, but I keep my balance, stroking his side. "That's one protective flying pony you have there." Jack says, and True whirls toward him, his teeth bared.

"True, it's fine." I say, and I look at Jack. "If you don't want to get attacked again, I wouldn't call him a pony." I say to him, and he sits up, wincing.

"That's going to leave a mark." He says, standing slowly. I hear the running of feet, and I turn to face even more people.

It takes me a second to confirm what exactly I'm seeing. A behemoth rabbit bounds toward me, followed by a seven-foot tall man with a beard, a flying, feather-colored pixie, and a gracefully floating man with clothes made of yellow sand. I move back a few steps, and True stands in front of me like a guard dog.

"Get out of the way." I say to him, pushing his shoulder, and he shifts to the side.

The group stops when they reach us, the big man's sides heaving. I look from each one, trying to comprehend what is going on, but there's too much.

Jack strides forward, leaning on his staff slightly. "Guys, this is Clarity." He glances back at me, standing hesitantly by True. "Don't offend her horse." He says with a smile at me, but I don't relax. I'm as stiff as a board, and my glow has dimmed to barely anything. The cold from the surrounding air is getting to me, and I shiver.

"Ah, Clarity. We've been expecting you." The big man has a Russian accent. He walks forward, his hand outstretched. "I'm North. My comrades are Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy." I take another step backwards.

"You're…Santa Claus." I say.

"Yes, yes, I am." North says kindly.

"But, you have a Russian accent." I say, still stunned at what I'm seeing.

"Yes, I do! Interesting, isn't it?" North says with a wide smile, and I relax slightly, letting a smile of my own peek through. My light reignites, and I feel myself getting warmer.

"You five are the Guardians, right? Jack told me that you protect kids from people who want to hurt them." I say.

"We are the Guardians." North says, his smile getting wider.

"North, remember what I said." Jack says warningly.

"Yes, yes, Jackie." North says dismissively. "Clarity, I have big, big news! You are newest Guardian!" His shout echoes hollowly through the halls, and I immediately hear the jingling of bells, trumpets blowing, and the pounding of drums.

Jack holds his head in his hands. "Guys, I said no fanfare." He says exasperatedly.

I stare blankly at North, whose hands are waving madly as if he's conducting an orchestra of elves and yeti now pouring into the room. And now he's holding a book, and the other Guardians are watching him.

Except for Jack, who's staring at me. He nods as if to say, _go head._

I can't become Guardian, not with the darker thread to my powers. All I can see is the world going up in flames. Destruction, all my fault. Is this why Pitch visited me, to use me? I won't allow that to happen.

"Stop!" I shout, and North freezes. The elves slowly die off, one glaring at me.

"I know we didn't have much time to prepare, but…" North says.

"There's been a mistake." I interrupt. "I'm not a Guardian. I can't be."

North smiles. "But Manny told us so." He looks up at an open window, and I can still see the moon in it.

"Are you saying the moon speaks to you?" I ask in surprise.

"Occasionally. =" The bunny hops forward. Yet another surprise; he has an Australian accent.

"E. Aster Bunnymund. But you can call me Bunny." He says with a smile. I don't smile back.

"Look. The moon got it wrong. I haven't been around for more then a few weeks. You've all been here for, how long?" I ask. They glance at each other.

"It doesn't matter how old we are. What matters is how we help people." The Tooth Fairy comes forward.

"Which is why you don't want me. I don't help people, I ruin them. You'll be better off without me." I plead, but their faces are set firm.

"Maybe it would be better if I explained. Come, I show you my workshop." North says. I look at his face, filled with kind warmth I haven't seen in a while, and nod. He walks away, and I begin to follow, when I hear hooves behind me.

"No, True. Stay here." I say, and he grunts in the way only a horse can. "Watch him?" I ask Jack.

"Um…" He trails off as True stares at him and I hurry after North's quickly retreating back.

"Don't worry. He doesn't bite!" I say loudly with a smile before I turn a corner.


	7. Harsh Reality and Sweet Dreams

**Please review! Every single one makes me so happy. Here's special thanks to my reviewers: thegirlwhosinlovewithapen, Rachelle, Macaroni Moo Moo Cow, BuckerooBlondie, R, and one Guest. Thanks so much. **

**Thanks to all my followers and people who favorited! It means so much!**

"Keep up, Clarity. Not much time." North calls back to me. I'm moving sluggishly, trying to absorb every detail of what's around me.

Because I'm in Santa's workshop, and it is spectacular. The yeti tinker away at all manner of toys, massive princess castles, flying helicopters, metal robots, and thousands more I can't even describe.

"I don't remember toys being this awesome when I was a kid." I remark as a glowing Frisbee whirls past me and doesn't seem to land.

"Recent improvements." North says, continuing to a colossal oak door at the end of the hall. He pushes it open with ease, and I dart through before it swings shut again.

"So, Clarity," North ponders me, standing there nervously, "you are new, no? You have no idea what your center is."

"My…center?" I ask, and North smiles.

"I love showing this." He says gleefully, pulling out from a shelf a Russian stacking doll.

"Go on, take it." He reaches out the doll for me, and I close my hand around its slick surface firmly. When I look at it, it makes more sense.

"This is you." I say, and North nods.

"You see, the outside me is very big, daunting, you get the picture. But I have very many layers." He says, and I pop the top off the doll, revealing another Santa. This one is smiling widely.

"You're really, really happy." I say, taking the top off. "And now you're…?" I look at him.

"Mysterious." He supplies.

"Okay, and now you're," I pull of the mysterious Santa's head, "Angry? No?" North shakes his head. "A fighter." I say confidently, and North nods.

"And now you're like a parent, you're caring." I say. The last top comes off, and a small thing comes rolling out.

"This is my center." North says, holding the little, wooden baby.

"What does that mean, though?" I ask.

"I am a baby with big eyes, yes?" North asks, and I nod.

"I have big eyes because they're full of wonder! I can see wonder in everything, in the moon, the sun, the toys I create. I protect the power of wonder in children!" North exclaims, raising his hands above his head. He looks down at me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "I am the Guardian of Wonder. What are you the Guardian of?" He asks, and I step back.

"But I'm not a Guardian." I say.

"Manny says otherwise." North says.

"But you don't want me. I don't deserve this. Choose someone else, someone more worthy." I say, to North and to the setting Moon.

"Why are you not worthy? You were reborn, weren't you?" North says, and I press my hands against my head.

"Yes, but…" I say.

"And you have powers to create light, yes? Summer? And your bow and arrows help people?" North asks.

"Yes, but…" I say again.

"It seems to me someone who can create light is the perfect choice to battle Pitch Black." North says, and I meet his eyes, a big mistake. They make me want to spill my secrets.

"I don't think I'm ready to do this." I blurt out.

"None of us can truly say we were ready when we were chosen. But we had to assume our positions or the children would suffer. I'm sorry, Clarity. You don't have choice." North says kindly, and I gaze up at him, fear seeming to infect my heart.

"Where's Truly?" I ask.

"Your horse was taken to our stables. He has been fed and taken care of." North says.

"We have a room prepared for you. You are welcome to stay here along with the other Guardians while we work out plan." North says, and an elf bustles in carrying a tray. "Eggnog?" North asks.

"No, thank you. I'd like to go rest." I say. I need a way out. There is no doubt that I can't do this. I'm too afraid, and that gives Pitch a window of opportunity within their group.

"Of course, of course. Dingle!" The elf swallows the glass of eggnog quickly and scurries over. "Take little Clarity here to her room." The elf nods and grabs my hand. I'm surprised it can reach that far up.

The elf tugs me through a passage filled with doors. They are clearly marked. One has grass sprouting from the bottom, one emanates the sound of chattering, one lets out a soft glow, and one has frost blooming around the edges. The elf leads me to one next to Sandy's, unmarked. He pushes open the door, and the chill that has pervaded disappears.

The room is all summer, warmth seeming to come from every object. The bedspread; white patterned with yellow suns. The ceiling looks like an actual sky now covered in constellations. A fire roars in the fireplace, and candles cover every surface. I look around for my guide and find him scurrying off, his hands fanning his face. The sight makes the corners of my mouth turn up.

I walk inside, closing and locking the door behind me. The fire seems to reach tongues of flames toward me the moment I do, and I shudder. Will this happen for the rest of my life, the fact that every time I see a fire, it symbolizes my darker side? I see a bucket on the opposite side of the room and hurry over. It is full with cold water. I chuck the entire thing on the fire, and with a hiss, and billowing of steam, it goes out. The room turns to a sauna in seconds, but I don't stop there.

I go to every candle and blow it out, turning the room to darkness. The window is closed, the shades drawn; I pull back the curtains, letting afternoon light filter in. It's cold, wintry light, but that can't be helped.

I sit down on the bed. It sinks under my weight. My lips spread apart as a massive yawn escapes my lips. "Maybe just a nap." I murmur to myself, and I lie back, not bothering to cover myself. It isn't hard to fall asleep, even without True beside me.

"My, my, this is interesting." A chilling voice asks, and I open my eyes. My room is pitch black, much like the voice.

"What do you want, Pitch?" I ask.

"Just paying a visit." His voice comes from the other direction. "I hear you've become a Guardian. Congratulations."

I don't answer.

"Oh right, because you don't actually want to be a Guardian. But it's beyond that, isn't it, dear? You _fear_ being a Guardian. Add that to the list." His voice fades out as I shout in fury.

"You coward! Face me yourself." I yell into the blackness.

"That's rich, coming from you." Pitch says.

"I'm not afraid of you. Get out or I'll call for help." I say threateningly.

"I think you need help distinguishing from nightmares and reality." Pitch says, and I feel a breath of cold air on the back of my neck. "Boo." He says, and I jump.

"Oh, do I detect a bit of fear?" Pitch asks, and his yellow eyes appear out of the blackness in front of me.

"Your imagination." I lie, and he laughs.

"You really do know how to have fun, Clarity, I'll give you that. You have good cause to fear Guardians. Once they find out about your little secret, there will be no redemption. They'll forget all about your goodness and they will fear you." Pitch says, and a flicker of flame appears in his hand. I shrink back.

"They won't find out." I say.

"They will, and you won't escape! You will be hunted, alone, without a family! You will never be believed in, and your sacrifice will be for nothing!" Pitch shouts. "I have a solution."

I hesitate. He had said he wanted me on his side, but am I willing to betray the people who took me in and showed me kindness?

"Join us, Clarity. We will give you power, strength. We will give you your old life back. Your brother, your mother, they will see you. You can rejoin them. It will be like the accident never happened." Pitch says persuasively.

"How? How is that possible?" I whisper.

"Let's just say one of my friends has power over that sort of thing." Pitch says, and I'm hit by a realization.

"Death. Death is your friend." I say, and he growls.

"Very clever, Clarity, very clever." He says. "But my offer still stands."

I look for him, but he has disappeared. His persuasive charm has disappeared with him.

"Never! I don't care what you know, or what you can do! I will never let you hurt those kids or the Guardians!" I scream, and he laughs again.

Something pushes me backwards, onto the bed, and I gasp. Pitch's face is inches from mine.

"You should have taken my offer, Clarity. The Guardians are blessed with something called immortality. I'm gonna let you in on a little secret," he leans in closer, breathing on my face with breath that smells sour, "you don't have it. You will die. And trust me," he chuckles, "you will. Sweet nightmares." He disappears with a blast of cold wind.


	8. If I Let You In

**Hey guys. Thanks for reading! Enjoy this latest chapter. I'm really excited :) Please review if you have anything to say. Thanks to my reviewers and followers.**

My chest heaves with gasps as I open my eyes and shoot out of bed. Light has returned to my room, the darkening glow of night. "Clarity?" A voice asks, and I spin around. Jack Frost sits in my window.

"So you're the one who woke me up." I say, trying to hide the fact that I'm grateful.

"You didn't exactly look like you were prancing through a meadow of roses." Jack remarks dryly, and I sigh.

"I don't sleep peacefully." I say, and he jumps inside.

"Has anyone ever told you that you glow like a star at night?" He asks.

I look down. I am glowing more then usual, a result of my agitation.

"I'm not normally this bright." I say, and I rub my arms. Goosebumps have risen. There's a blanket on a chair nearby; I grab it and wrap in around myself.

"Sorry about earlier. I told them to cut out the fluff, but North can get carried away." Jack says, sitting down, his legs slung over the arm of the chair.

"It was…overwhelming." I say, and Jack smiles.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." He says.

"I don't want to get used to it." I say, a hard edge on my voice, and I see his eyes widen.

"I'm sorry. I'm exhausted, but every time I try to sleep…" I trail off, and he nods in understanding.

"Nightmares? Me too." He says.

"I just don't feel cut out for this. I died a month ago. You became Jack Frost, what, 300 years ago?" I ask.

"You remember your death?" Jack asks.

"I don't want to talk about it." I say, and I feel a light touch on my arm, cold, but still comforting.

"When you do, I'll be here." Jack says, and I smile. "And if you have nightmares, I'm right across the hall. I'll leave a candle burning." He adds, and I smile wider.

"Got it." I say, and he leaps to the windowsill. "And Jack?" I call out. He turns. "Thanks for everything. I'm sorry I didn't trust you." I say, and he nods, falling backwards onto the wind. I watch him fly away, approaching the bitterly cold air.

I feel a pit in my stomach at the thought of what I need to do. I've already gotten too close to Jack. I don't want to hurt him or anyone else, and that's what is in danger of happening.

I can die. I never considered the fact that I was immortal, but others have to be. And now, I am not. I could die in the upcoming battle, and getting close to them will hurt them, just like I hurt my family.

And then there's the fire. I don't want to lose control the next time I get angry. There's only one solution.

I'm going to jump out the window and pray True catches me.

I hurry to the window and try to pry it open. It's locked shut.

"No." I say quietly, fumbling at the latch. It doesn't open. Frost has bloomed on the outside, freezing it shut. There's another way, but I refuse to use it.

_Jack's POV_

I'm in my room, staring up at the black ceiling. My staff is propped against the bed and my window is open. Everything is quiet, peaceful, but I'm not tired enough to sleep.

I'm worried. I shouldn't be, not yet, but I'm worried about many things. About Pitch's plan, about how we can defeat him now, and about Clarity.

She seems so unsettled, seeing all of us together. She acted like I did before I knew what being a Guardian meant, only…different. I didn't want the position because of the responsibility, but she acted like she didn't want it for a hidden reason. I get the feeling all she's told me is true, but at the same time, she's definitely hiding secrets. And the way she withdrew the moment I asked about her family seems strange to me. The only thing I can do is to be here to help her, because there's no turning back for her, or for any of us.

That's why I locked her window. I think she'll leave if she can, escape her destiny. But she can't.

I have to find out what she's hiding. Whatever it is, it's keeping her closed off from all of us. And if we have the slightest crack in our armor, we'll be defeated.

I wake up in the early morning with bleary eyes and feeling unusually warm. I open my eyes to see Clarity, staring daggers into my skull.

"Good morning." I say with a smile.

"That's a matter of opinion." Clarity says.

"Someone slept on the wrong side of the bed." I remark, sitting up and stretching luxuriously.

She walks toward me slowly. "Imagine my surprise when, the moment you left my room, I tried to open my window, and it was frozen shut. How do you think that happened?" She asks, and I wince.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice that." I say, and her glow flares.

"Yeah, well, I did." She says.

I stare at her, but she won't meet my eyes. "I locked your window because I didn't think you would stay. I thought you might run away." I say honestly.

Clarity moves to the door and closes it. "Why don't you trust me?" She asks.

"Why don't you trust me?" I ask her, and her eyes cloud over.

_Clarity's POV_

"Why don't you trust me?" Jack asks me, and I feel my will crumble.

I sit down next to him, on his bed. "I do. That's the problem. I don't want to hurt you, any of you. But I think I will." I say just as honestly.

"Why do you think that?" Jack asks.

"I don't know! A bad feeling, I guess?" She says.

"Look, last year, when Pitch first attacked, I didn't want to get involved either. I wasn't sure why I was a Guardian. I was selfish and made a mistake, and Pitch almost won. But I fixed the problems I caused. I think I understand what you're going through. What makes you think you're going to hurt us? You say you trust me. Prove it." Jack says.

Where to start? The fire that can cause destruction when I'm furious, the problem that I can die, or the fact that the last time I died, I destroyed the lives of my family, hurting them irreparably. Maybe it's Pitch, messing with my head, giving me fear I can't handle.

I don't know what to say, but it's pretty obvious I can't tell him about the fire. That is my secret, the one I dig a hole to Chine to bury. I don't want to face the fact that I can die again. And I'm definitely not telling him that Pitch visits me in my sleep. Which leaves…

"Can I show you something?" I ask.

"Of course." Jack says.

I focus on my hand and a sphere of energy forms. I throw it into the air, and a vortex appears. "Come on." I say, grabbing Jack's hand. He's grinning widely.

We jump through, landing safely on my old front porch. "What's this place?" Jack asks.

"Welcome to my old house." I say dryly, walking to the front door and opening it. It's unlocked as usual.

Jack follows me silently inside, and I keep holding onto his hand. We walk upstairs, turning left. I look at the two closed doors, one to my left, and one to my right.

I turn to the left one and slide inside. The sight surprises me. Everything is untouched: my bedspread, my shelves full of books, everything.

"This is my old room." I say, looking around. "I went to a high school with my older brother. We were really close. I looked out for him, and he looked out for me. A car hit me when I tried to save a little girl. It damaged him. He doesn't care about anything anymore." I walk out of my room again and cross the hall. "And you blame yourself?" Jack asks. "It's my fault." I say. "Would you rather that little girl died?" Jack says, and I pause. "No, no I don't want that." I breathe out.

"That's my brother, Max." I say, opening my door. He's on his phone, listening to music.

"Can he…can he see you?" Jack says, and Max stands. My hope sparks. Maybe he can see Jack and I'm about to have the chance to convince him. He walks toward us, his green eyes dull, and in that split second, I know what's going to happen. He walks right through me, making me wince in pain. He walks out of the room, and I can hear him walking downstairs.

My knees buckle, and I collapse against the bed. Jack sits down more gracefully, and I look away from him.

"No one ever sees me." I say quietly. "I don't know why. People see you, don't they?" My voice is beginning to shake, and I swallow.

"Yes." Jack says, even quieter. "But they didn't for the past 300 years. I know how it feels."

"Is it me? Am I doing something wrong?" I ask, and I don't know whom I'm asking.

"No!" Jack says vehemently. "It's not anything you're doing. You don't know what you stand for yet."

"What does that…?" I begin to ask. A shadow flits in front of the window, and I jerk upright.

"Come on." I say, and I open the window. A rider dressed in black in standing on top of a nearby roof.

"Pitch." Jack growls. "Let's go." He grabs my hand, and the wind grabs us, whirling us to the rooftop.

"Oh, look who it is." Pitch says, and his horse snorts at us. "Careful, Clarity. Wouldn't want to get too cozy. He might find out who you really are." I flush in anger.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asks.

"I swear, it's nothing." I say quickly.

"Oh, Clarity. _My_ Clarity. You aren't frightened of me anymore." Pitch says.

"I was never scared of you_._" I say.

"I'll have to try harder then." Pitch says, and Jack grips his staff.

"Oh, it's my old friend, Jack Frost. Come to put me in my place?" Pitch walks toward us, and his horse neighs in the background.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I have an appointment with a very, very old friend. He doesn't really have a name, but you probably know him as the Second." Jack's face pales. "Yes, Jack, Death. The first one to be created after the Man in Moon." Pitch mounts his horse again. "Ta-ta." They swoop off, like a giant bat.

But two piles of black sand are left. They begin to swirl around, forming shapes. "Now what?" I ask hesitantly. "Now, we run." Jack says, and we fly up, into the sky. I hear a hiss, and look back. The piles have merged, into one monstrous, flying dragon.

"Jack!" I shout, and he glances back. "Shit!" He shouts, and we go higher. The dragon follows, and I look at it. Jack's grip on my elbow is slipping. The dragon directly below us seems to smile viciously with its flaming eyes and sharp teeth. My hand fumbles for my bow, and I draw it. The arrow is already fitted to the string. I try to pull it back, but Jack is impeding my movement. There's only one thing I can do.

I twist my arm away from Jack, and his hand falls from mine. I tumble through the air, and the dragon opens its mouth in preparation for its dinner. My hand yanks back the string, as I get closer, closer, closer. With an audible twang, the arrow flies through the air, heading for the dragon's open mouth. I think about how much I want, no, I _need_ to stop this beast, shutting my eyes as the arrow tears into the maw of the dragon. _Please. _I beg. And as I spiral, with a boom like the sky is splitting apart with lightning, the dragon explodes. The light sears my closed eyes, and I smile briefly.

_At least I helped_. I think as the explosion stretches toward me. It seems to move in slow motion, but all I want is to get it over with. Out of my peripheral vision, I see a comet streaking toward me. I'm fading in and out of being aware of my surroundings, but I feel it when it hits my side, throwing me out of the path of the fire.

I tumble toward the grass; whatever knocked me out of the way is still holding on. We hit the ground with the force of a meteorite, grass and dirt flying up around me. I hear a groan of pain as the thing pinning me to the ground looks at me.

"Idiot!" Jack says angrily.

"You're welcome." I whisper hoarsely.

"You could've been hurt. If you think we can't get hurt, we can." Jack says.

"I know." I say, slightly louder, slowly regaining my awareness.

That's when I realize how close he is to me. His nose almost brushes mine, and his eyes are boring a hole in mine. I can feel his cold seeping into my bones, and I don't care. My heart is suddenly pounding a stake into my chest, so hard I'm sure he can feel it. His fierce expression softens slightly, and he leans in closer slowly. I can feel his breath on my lips right before he slants his mouth across mine.


	9. The Battle Begins

**Sorry it's so short. I just reached a good stopping place so...review please!**

For that second, I'm aware of everything. His lips pressed against mine, the wet grass, the way my hand is hot and cold at the same time, and my heart drumming a staccato beat against my chest.

And I pull back. Hesitation floods my entire body. This is exactly what I didn't want to happen, to get close enough to hurt him. I know that I never want to hurt him.

His face seems to get dark in that moment, and he looks away. A shard of pain enters my heart. How can this be a bad thing if it feels so perfect, if it hurts so much when he isn't looking at me?

He glances back at me, and I can see a question in his eyes. Like he's asking if he's made a mistake. A rush of courage floods my veins with adrenaline, and I reach upward, pulling him back down towards me. He stiffens briefly before relaxing, and I smile as the splinter in my heart is pulled out.

"We should get back." Jack says, and I nod. We stand up, and I brush grass off the back of my shirt.

I make the portal quickly, and catch Jack's eye. I immediately blush, and we step inside.

The portal spits us out into Santa's workshop. Jack stumbles forward a few paces and I laugh. It dies away quickly as I look around. It's empty. No elves, no yeti. Where is everyone?

"Hello?" I call out, and I hear a scream.

"Who's there?" I ask, and Tooth comes hurtling around the corner. Her eyes are wide with terror.

"Tooth, what is it? What's wrong?" I ask.

"The elves, the yeti, they're missing. North is frantic." Tooth says.

"How?" Jack asks.

"We don't know. They just disappeared." She says. I run down the hall to North's office. I know he'll be there.

"Don't worry, North. We'll get 'em back." Bunny says as I barge in. North sits, looking hopelessly lost.

"Oh, North, I'm so sorry. We should have been here." I say softly, standing next to him.

"Where were you? You could've helped." Bunny asks.

"Helped with what, Bunny? They were all gone when we woke up." Tooth says.

"We have to take the fight to Pitch. Who knows what will happen next?" Jack says, and I hear a chilling laugh.

"I do!" Pitch says happily, materializing in front of us.

"What have you done to my castle, Pitch?" North shouts.

"It's rather obvious, isn't it? No helpers, no Christmas. No Christmas, and every child will stop believing in you. You'll crumble away, forced to hide." Pitch says angrily.

"You'd know all about hiding, wouldn't you, Pitch?" Bunny says, and Pitch sneers.

"Don't you have some eggs to fill?" He asks, and Bunny lunges for him. North grabs him before he makes contact.

"I think the children of this world could use a little scaring, don't you? I think I'll start with my old friend Jamie and his baby sister. Or maybe I'll begin with a little seven-year old girl. I think her name is Emma." Pitch says.

"Don't you dare." I say fiercely. The passion in my voice surprises me.

"We wouldn't want your sacrifice to go to waste, would we?"

My rising anger overflows. With a yell, I shoot a beam of searing light toward his silhouette, but he's gone, vanished.

"Don't lose your temper, Clarity. You know what it does to you." Pitch says from all around me, and Jack moves closer to me.

"I see you let someone into your heart. Not the smartest of ideas. He'll just betray you. Just like they all will." Pitch says, and I feel a trickle of fear.

"Never." Jack says.

"We're with you, Clarity. Don't listen to him." Tooth says, and I smile.

"I'm not afraid of you, Pitch. You're not going to be able to make me doubt them again." I say, and he appears in front of me again.

"We'll see about that." He says, and a boomerang slices through the air. Pitch falls backwards, crashing against a bookshelf. The corner of my mouth twitches upward. Pitch's cheeks flush with anger as he stands slowly, and I get ready.

"You'll regret that." He says, his voice filled with wrath.

"I don't think we will." North says loudly.

Pitch looks at all of us. "The end is coming! You will all wish you had never lived!"

"Just accept the fact that you were beaten, and we'll beat you again. If you don't want to end up a shadow for eternity, I suggest you back off." I say defiantly, and his lips twist into a growl.

"You were wrong to cross me, Clarity. I will break you! I will destroy you, your family, your friends, and your life. And when you are so weak you can barely move, I will put you out of your misery." He spits out.

"I'd like to see you try." Jack says, and he moves in front of me. Pitch looks at us and sneers evilly. In a flash, a black cloud crashes through the window, sending glass everywhere. I cover my head instinctively as the sound of breaking glass subsides. When I open my eyes again, Pitch is gone.


	10. Plans Gone Awry

**Please review all! Thanks to my newest reviewer, who was a guest. I kinda can't wait until I reveal Clarity's secret too, but since I'm evil, it's going to be at least two more chapters, probably more. I can tell you that it was the second scene I imagined when I came up with this story and it's heartbreaking, rage-inducing, and epic in my head (emphasis on the in my head). I hope I do it justice and that you feel the reactions from the characters are just as emotion-causing as they are for me.**

**I'll stop rambling now.**

"What do we do?" Tooth asks nervously.

"Rescue the elves and the yeti, of course!" North says immediately.

"Is that really our top priority, mate?" Bunny asks, and North's eyes get severe.

"They are in danger." He says.

"Guys, wait." Jack says with a glance at me.

"Pitch approached us. Now I know he was just trying to slow us down. But he did let slip one piece of information; his friend. He's woken up the Second." He says, and North's face pales, Tooth's mini-fairies fall quiet, and Bunny's ears stand straight up.

"Impossible." North says.

"It's true. He told me as well." I say, stepping forward.

"If Jack and Clarity are right, we are in more danger then we thought." Tooth says.

"I thought you were immortal." I say hesitantly.

"Yeah, but Death is extremely powerful. He could simply kill every child in the world if he wanted." Jack says.

But I'm skeptical. "He won't do that. Pitch wants to be believed in more then anything. He wouldn't even be fighting if he wasn't fighting for something." I say.

"Clarity's right. All Pitch ever wanted was to be believed in." Tooth adds.

"Where are we needed the most though?" North asks.

"I say we assemble here. Desert the Warren and bring my troops here, desert the Tooth palace and bring the teeth and all your helpers here as well." Bunny says.

"Bad idea! I still have to perform my duties." Tooth says. Sandy, who has been quiet this entire time, nods emphatically.

"Do you have a better plan?" Bunny asks, his hands on his hips.

"We go straight to Pitch!" She says.

"I like that idea. I don't want to wait around." Jack says. Sandy moves to their side, and I can see the rift clearly.

The two sides are split onto opposite sides of the room, arguing in earnest now. Their voices rise like massive waves about to break, and I shut my eyes. Bad idea.

_You see how they bicker, like children fighting over a toy? They will fall easily._ Pitch's voice whispers in my mind. _No._ I say, and he chuckles. _Foolish girl. After all you know you still have faith. How cute. _I clench my fists. _I won't let you beat me._ I tell him. _You no longer have a choice. You're under my control. I can see your soul. It's so helpless, vulnerable, unimpressive. _I try to push him out, but he invades my presence, my spirit. _Futile attempts. I'm not something you can just push out. I'm a part of you. I have you in my clutches, and you will never get free. They'll crumble from within, or you'll betray them. It's your destiny. _Iinstantly recoil and jerk back from my consciousness. "NO!" I shout, and the room goes quiet.

"Clarity?" North asks hesitantly, and I open my eyes.

"Can't you see this is what he wants? He wants us to fall apart so he can win! We have to work together!" I shout at them, standing there dumbfounded. They all look so confused, and I'm so angry because they just don't understand. _Go on, do it. Burn them all. _A voice inside my head says. And in that moment of blind rage, I want to. But I can't.

"Excuse me." I mutter, and I storm out, practically running to escape. I reach the outer area, where the globe slowly spins. The lights shine steadily, helping me to focus and calm my mind.

"Clarity." Jack's voice says calmly, but I don't turn around.

"Look, you were right. We never should have fought over that. We aren't ready to fight Pitch yet. We're gathering everyone here. North was wondering if you could go with Tooth to get her fairies. Your portals are faster then her flying. Bunny and I will go to the Warren, and North's staying here to guard the fort." He explains.

I clear my throat. "Good." I say, and I feel his hand trace its way down my arm.

"Please look at me." Jack begs, and I turn, meeting his cerulean blue eyes. He's only a couple inches taller.

"Try to stay out of trouble." He says with a smirk.

"It seems like I only get in trouble when you're there." I joke.

His smile fades slightly. "Seriously, be careful. I know I was joking, but if you get captured…"

My heart's already quickening its pace. "I will, I promise." I say.

He glances down. "Look, I know how you opened up to me, but I have a duty, I guess. I can trust you, right? No more secrets?"

It feels like an iron cage is closing around my chest, constricting my breathing. _What's your answer to that?_ A voice whispers in my mind, but it isn't Pitch speaking. It's my own head. Jack is looking at me expectantly.

"No." I say. "No more secrets." He smiles and leans in again. I know what's coming, but this time, when he kisses me, it feels like a lie instead of hope, and it doesn't make me happy.

Tooth approaches us without hesitation, and I'm still in Jack's arms. I almost jerk back in surprise. She has a wide smile on her face.

"Ready to go?" She asks me.

"Of course." I say, walking over to her. My cheeks are flaming red, but I ignore it. North walks out with Bunny, and he gives me a knowing wink.

"Oh I really, really wish I could disappear right now." I whisper, and Tooth laughs. I throw my portal-making light into the air, and we dive in.

_Jack's POV_

I watch Clarity go silently. She never looks back at me, but I can feel other eyes watching me.

"Bravo, Jackie!" North exclaims the moment they disappear.

"What?" I ask, feigning ignorance.

"What." Bunny scoffs. "Tell me North, can the winter spirit blush? 'Cause I think he is."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I retort.

"I think he is blushing, Bunny." North says with smile.

"Are you ready to go? Or would you rather tease me some more?" I ask, my voice annoyed.

"Alright, alright, keep your whiskers on." Bunny stomps his foot, and a hole appears. He jumps in, and I follow. "Just tell me this, mate," Bunny yells, "how come you get all the girls?"

I can't stop a smile from spreading over my face. "I don't know." I shout. "Maybe because I don't look like a kangaroo!"

The tunnel ejects us forcefully. "Kangaroo?" Bunny looks at me through narrowed eyes, but I know he's joking.

"We'd better hurry." I say, looking around. Bunny places his fingers in his mouth and whistles loud and clear. I hear a rumbling, and four massive egg-shaped boulders come rolling down the hill. Bunny taps his foot and the stones disappear on their way to North's.

"Where are the eggs?" I ask, and Bunny looks at me derisively.

"It's another nine months 'til Easter, mate. They don't keep that long."

I look around. "Isn't there anything else?" I ask.

"Nope. Couldn't come at a better time, really." Bunny says.

He straightens up, nose held into the air.

"What? What is it?" I ask.

"We have to go. Now." Bunny says, and he lifts his foot.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, rabbit." Pitch says, and I look up.

A vortex of nightmares swirls above us, and Pitch is in the center. As I watch, they spin down, surrounding us in black sand. Pitch walks forward out of it, confidently, a smile on his face.

"You see, I brought my friend this time." The nightmares part, and someone comes forward. The sight makes my skin crawl.

He's transparent, but I can clearly see the black robes he wears. They fan out in many layers around him. He carries a sword, made of black iron. His skin is a light gray, weathered and wrinkled, but his eyes are the worst. Black holes that seem to hold the galaxy, sucking in matter and stars and the sun.

"Bunny, let's go." I say, but he's frozen. "Bunny!"

"Jack, w-we can't." He stutters.

"Why?" I ask furiously.

"Sophie." He whispers, and Death seems to smile.

She crying out, crying for anything. Tears stream down her face in rivers. Death holds her in his grasp firmly. I feel my stomach flop over.

"Let her go!" I shout furiously.

"Oh, I will. But I need something in return." Pitch says with a wider smile.

"What?" Bunny asks.

"Jack. I want Jack's life." Pitch says viciously.

"He's immortal." Bunny says.

"My friend can put him to sleep. He won't die, of course, but there will be no chance of waking him for all of eternity." Pitch says.

"Never." Bunny says, and Pitch turns to Death.

"Kill her." He says dismissively, and Death smiles, his teeth black and rotting.

"Wait!" I shout, and Death pauses.

"You can have me. Take me." I say.

"Jack…" Bunny trails off as I look at him.

"You would do the same thing." I say, and I face Death.

"Give us Sophie." I command.

"You first." Pitch says.

"No. You'll double cross me. Sophie first. I give you my word we won't escape." I say.

Pitch smiles. "You're in no position to bargain. But since you're so willing, how about we trade at the same time. Little bunny there gets the girl as we strip away your soul."

I nod my consent, my chest already heaving in fear. Pitch seems to relish it, laughing to himself as Death draws his sword. He points it toward me, and I take in a deep breath.

"Tell the others goodbye." I say to Bunny, who still looks dumbfounded, but he nods mutely.

I look Death in the eye. "Get it over with." I say loudly. He begins to walk forward, and I suppress to urge to run.

Sophie sees Bunny and runs to him, freed from Death's grasp. She buries her face in his fur, but it's too late to run.

I desperately take in breath, trying to hang on to life as long as I can. _Please, please, please, please._ I beg of no one. The point of the sword touches my chest, and an agony sears through my body like lightning, through every vein, every artery. Every muscle seizes up in pain, and I fall backward stiffly. The edges of my vision are clouded in red, and I can feel my heart faltering. It beats once, twice, three times, four…


	11. Broken Heartbeats

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, I've had a super busy day.**

**There is someone I want to mention. It is a Guest, who reviewed: HOLY PLOT TWIST. This actually made me really happy, because, honestly, none of the Plot Twists I write are actually plot twists. They just spill from my brain like (insert metaphor here). Originally, when Jack froze Clarity's window, I had that not happening and her running away. I realized three pages later that it was going nowhere and I had to erase all of it. IT TOOK ME AN HOUR! lol anyway enjoy this latest chapter, and if you think jack is going to stay in his coma, review. if you don't, review anyway! :)**

_Clarity's POV_

Tooth and I complete our task quickly and return with the mini-fairies. There are thousands of them, all buzzing around at the speed of light. And honestly, their peeping is getting on my nerves. I feel a headache coming on, and I'm rubbing my temples when North comes around the corner.

"Okay there, Clarity?" He asks, and I nod.

"Do you have any Advil?" I ask, and his expression turns confused.

"Never mind." I quickly say, and I return to watching the courtyard.

"Waiting here isn't going to make them come back any faster." North says.

"Well, it makes me feel better." I say.

"They should have been back by now." Tooth says worriedly.

"I know. I have an awful feeling in my stomach." I say. We stand together, and a twinkling catches my eye. Sandy, floating in through the window after finishing his nightly routine.

"I have to go give my fairies orders." Tooth says. I feel her soft touch brush my shoulder, a small comforting motion. If I concentrate, I can almost feel it lessening the fear. Almost.

Then, I hear the sound of dirt falling away. I jerk upright, but it's only four egg-shaped rocks, faces engraved on each side. They immediately waddle towards us.

"Bunny's warriors." North says with relief.

"Yeah, but where's Bunny?" I ask. An unspoken question hangs in the air, emitted by the air I breathe. _Where is Jack?_

Minutes pass in silence, Tooth's fairies having left on their missions. Tooth returns as well, and Sandy floats near my shoulder. The silence thickens ever second, until I begin to feel trapped. They should be here, with us. Why aren't they here?

And finally, a sound splinters the bulletproof quiet. A tunnel appears on the opposite side of the globe, and I'm moving towards them, legs pumping over the distance. Bunny pops out, and the sound of a child's crying echoes off the hard marble. He's carrying someone, a limp body with a head of white hair…

The oxygen turns to honey in my lungs, and suddenly I can't suck in enough air to scream his name. There's no way I reach him soon enough, because it doesn't feel like I'm moving.

My knees slide against the ground as I kneel next to his unmoving body.

"Bunny! What happened?" North shouts. I stare down at Jack's face. He looks so peaceful, his eyes shut. His hand is cold as I hold it in mine.

"Pitch…attacked us. The Second was there, North. We didn't stand a chance." Bunny says.

"But you are unharmed." North asks.

Bunny is holding something else, something that clings to his fur like a life raft, something that's crying.

"They had Sophie, North. Pitch said if Jack didn't let the Second put him to sleep, he would kill Sophie." He says, his voice rising and falling.

I don't care. There has to be something left of him. I check his pulse. Nothing beat beneath my fingers. My hands find their way to his chest and I begin to push. _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…_I count mindlessly.

"What are you doing?" Tooth asks.

"Trying to save him." I say, still pumping.

"Clarity, he's gone." North says gently.

I whirl around, my hands fists. "No!" I shout at him, and I turn around.

"Jack, wake up. Please, come back. We need you. I need you. _Please."_ I beg, tears running down my face onto his, where they freeze instantly. My skin burns touching him, but I keep holding his hand.

Two arms grab my shoulders and pull me back. "No!" I scream as North drags me away from Jack. I see Tooth bury her face into Bunny's fur.

"He's not dead!" I shout. I struggle to get away from North, who's become the enemy, who's holding me back. "I can bring him back!" I cry.

"Clarity, you can't." North says gently, his voice choked by tears. "There's nothing we can do."

His words, free of any lie, break something in me. I collapse into his reassuring bulk, sobs shaking my body like earthquakes. I can't take in air to breathe anymore. I push myself away from North, lurching toward the dark corridors.

My vision swims with tears and dizziness, and as I round the corner, I stumble into the cold embrace of the granite wall. It supports my weight like I am unable to do, and my legs give in to the floor. I curl up against it, listening to my dry sobs ricochet back at me and my heart thrashing out a broken beat.

I think I fall asleep there, crying until I can't anymore and wanting to lose myself in the peace sleep brings. I wake up in my bedroom, tangled in the blankets. For a second, everything is calm, than I remember.

I soak a pillow with more tears. Every time I think I'm recovering, I see his smile in my head, or think of the way his lips felt under mine, and I succumb to a new onslaught.

I feel hollow, broken, irreparable. Nothing could have prepared me for this. If only I had really died that day in the street, instead of being brought back. If only I had hated Jack, hated him with every particle in which I existed. But I hadn't. I had survived. I had met him, and liked him, and fallen for him. It was my fault. I shouldn't have kissed him back. I shouldn't have showed him my family. In a way, I was setting myself up to fall. Pitch isn't to blame for my pain, my aching heart. I was.


	12. Some Things Can't Be Fixed

**Hey guys. Sorry for the lateness. My Internet went down :( It caused a slight panic attack. Please forgive me for the late update!**

**Anyway, please review and follow, and thanks for reading! Thanks to my newest reviewer: thegirlwhosinlovewithapen, I'm glad you're enjoying it!**

**I kind of want to do a poll with all y'all out there. If you're reading this, shoot me a message and vote for either Sherlock or Supernatural. My friend and I are having a very serious debate ;)**

**Well here it is at last!**

Someone knocks on my door sometime during the day. I don't really care, just ignore it liking I'm ignoring everything else.

"Clarity?" Tooth asks, but I don't answer. My throat is sore, and even if I wanted to speak, I'm not sure if I can.

"Clarity, please come out." Tooth says.

I wait for her to leave. She doesn't speak again, and I'm sure she's flown off, given up on me. I both want her to and don't.

"I know you don't want company right now, but we need you." Tooth says. "Jack was my friend too. I know you were more then just friends, but that is why you need to help us. He wouldn't want you to stay locked up forever just 'cause he's gone. We need your help to protect the children. If you aren't doing it for us, do it for them." Her words reverberate in my ears insistently. I feel like I'm backed into a corner, and this is the only way out.

I stand up slowly, like an old woman, and stiffly move to the door. When I open it, I see that Tooth's mauve eyes are bloodshot and tired. She looks at me, and her arms wrap around me. I'm out of water to weep, and it seems like she is to. We just stand, sharing each other's grief, like friends.

I never thought I'd have friends in this life. I never dreamed of flight, of golden beams, or living nightmares. I never dreamed of finding someone who understood me completely, or being so devastated when they disappeared. I never pictured myself here, in this imaginary hall, hugged by a fairy as we mourn the loss of a friend.

We break apart and I follow her down the hall to North's office. I hear the soft murmur of voices coming from the ajar door. As we come in, they fall silent.

"Clarity?" North asks.

"I'm here." I step out from behind Tooth.

"Good, good." North looks around dazedly. Bunny glances at Sandy, who nudges North.

"Oh, oh, yes, thank you," North looks at me with glazed eyes, "We're all feeling the effects of Jack's loss, but we need to get back to the problem. Pitch has upped his game. He's kidnapping children and holding them hostage, and we have to stop him."

"He'll start with the ones we know personally. We need to get Jamie and his friends out of Burgess." Bunny says.

"I know one. Her name is Emma. She lives in South Carolina." I say.

"How do you know her?" Tooth asks.

"She was a girl I saved before I died." I say. "But I need someone to come with me. She doesn't believe in me, and I can't just take her with me.

"I'll go." Tooth volunteers.

"We should hurry. Pitch has been one step ahead of us this whole time. We need to get a step ahead of him." She adds fiercely.

Sandy smiles widely and points at the door. He leads the way as we exit the room.

_Jack's POV_

_ I am in darkness enveloped unable to move unable to speak I cannot hang on to her memory only strain to hear her voice but I can't_

_I am in darkness I cannot hang on to her memory_

_I am in darkness I cannot hang on_

_I am in darkness_

_I am_

_I_

_Clarity's POV_

I am in the small town in South Carolina. It's not exactly bustling, and the sun is close to setting. We have to wait for sundown before talking to her. Emma, the girl who cost me my life. Every time I regret my choice to save her, I come here. I was with her during her eighth birthday, four days after my death. I was with her during her parents' divorce, two weeks after my death. I tried to help heal her little heart. I will never forget her.

I will the sun to set faster, and it obeys my command. An extraordinary early night for summer, but it'll have to do. I watch her window as she climbs into bed and her mother turns out the light with a sweet smile.

"Let's go." I whisper to Tooth, and she flies to the second floor.

I have to climb a tree and hang from a railing. Tooth gently raps on the window, and I see the lump in the blankets flip over. Her mouth gets wide, and she bobs over, curls bouncing wildly. Tooth pantomimes for her to open the window, and she slowly, still in awe, slides over the latch. It makes a slight rasp, and I wince as we slip inside.

"Hi, there." Tooth says in a quiet voice.

"Are you a fairy?" Emma asks.

"Yes, yes I am. I'm the Tooth Fairy." Tooth says.

Emma's eyes get even bigger. "But I don't have a tooth." She says.

"I know." Tooth kneels on the ground. "Your name is Emma, right?" Emma nods. "Well, I have a big surprise for you. We're going to go on a trip to the North Pole." Emma squeals.

"Is Santa there?" She asks, and Tooth nods. "And the Sandman, and the Easter Bunny, and Ja-" Her face falls. Emma doesn't notice, but I feel sucker-punched in the stomach.

My glow flickers, and Emma's eyes narrow as the room's light varies.

Tooth shoots a glance at me. "Hey, Emma?" She asks. "Do you remember a few weeks ago when a girl saved you?" Emma's face gets long.

"Yes. Mom said it was very good of her. But she never got better after she got hit by the car." Emma says.

"What if I told you she's here, in this room? Her name is Clarity, and she looks exactly the same, only she glows now, like an angel." Tooth says, and I look at her exasperatedly.

"It isn't going to work, Tooth. She'll never see me." I say, and Tooth shushes me.

"It's very important you believe in her, Emma." Tooth says. Emma nods and her brow furrows, like she's concentrating hard, but she stills stares at my body with a blank expression.

Tooth looks at me sadly, but it doesn't hurt anymore. I'm used to the pain.

"Come on." I say, standing up. Tooth picks up Emma gently, and I form the portal. We jump in, Emma screaming in delight.

We land in North's fortress. The others aren't back yet, like last time. I don't know where Bunny is. I feel my intestine tie itself into knots. Emma looks around as Tooth sets her down. I can feel waves of excitement coming off her body.

"Are you okay?" Tooth asks.

"That was fun. Scary, but fun." Emma says.

"Bunny?" I shout, and I hear him coming towards us.

"Is that the Easter Bunny?" Emma asks.

"The one and only." He says, and she giggles.

"Your voice is weird." She says.

"Sophie's asleep in the other room. She's been having nightmares." Bunny tells me.

"Are you talking to the other girl?" Emma asks.

Bunny looks at her, then at me. "Does she see you, he asks, but I shake my head.

"I'll go check on Sophie. Can you show Emma around?" I ask. The place still seems oddly empty.

Tooth leads Emma away, and Bunny follows me.

"It must hurt, that the girl you saved doesn't believe in you." Bunny says.

"I helped her. I was there the past month with her, making sure she stayed safe. But she doesn't know. I don't care any more. It seems insignificant." I say.

"You're lying." He challenges, and I stop walking.

"What makes you say that?" I demand.

"Every child is significant. Last year, Jamie was the only believer left. He believed in all of us, and helped us to keep going. Who knows what one child could do for you? You long for that one little kid so much it burns." He says, and I keep trudging along.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I do want someone to believe in me. That's how we exist, right? How can I be without people believing in me?" I ask.

"Jack had the same problem, you know. No one believed in him, but he still used his gifts to make people believe in his Center. My Center is Hope. As long as people have faith in your Center, whatever that is, you'll survive." Bunny says.

I'm suddenly overcome with fondness for him, for every one of them. I wrap my arms around him briefly, his fur itching my nose.

"Thanks." I say, releasing him.

"No problem." He says, and I sneeze.

"Hope you're not allergic, 'cause you're stuck with me for a long time." He remarks, and I smile. We both know it's not recovery, not even a start toward healing. It's simply a distraction. Maybe if we keep it up long enough, we'll actually forget the pain.

I don't really think I'll ever recover. Some things, like broken CDs and broken hearts aren't meant to be mended. You can move on, you can cover up the ache with new friendship, but it'll always be a part of you, a reminder. The distraction won't be enough. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to face the pain and know that it can't be forgotten, it can't be chased away.

Still, when I see Sophie, curled up in a soft baby-blue blanket, her electric green eyes looking at Bunny with wide-eyed admiration and love, I smile and ignore the pain, pretending, for a few minutes, that I have driven it away for good.


	13. The Moment I Knew Everything

**Hey guys. Short message today: please review and enjoy!**

**Actually, wait. thanks to hiddensecret564 for reviewing!**

**Okay, **now **enjoy! :)**

The children arrive with Sandman and North within the next hour. Besides Emma and Sophie, there is Jamie, Pippa, Cupcake, Monty, and the twins Caleb and Claude. They bring some cheer back to the empty castle, each face alight with excitement and happiness.

None of them even acknowledge me. I don't show my sadness until Pippa runs to greet Tooth and passes straight through me. Something about that feeling of cold makes me falter in my resolve. Maybe because when I saw her charging at me, my heart dared to hope. I never learn.

Emma approaches them with caution, but after a couple smiles, she joins in with their feeling.

Jamie keeps looking around with a wondering expression. "What're you looking for, kid?" Bunny asks him.

"Where's Jack? I thought he'd be here." He asks, a smile still on his face. Bunny doesn't answer, and I wish desperately that he could see me, so I could comfort him.

"Is he out on a mission?" Jamie asks, and Tooth kneels next to him.

"I'm sorry, Jamie." She says, and his smile disappears.

"Sorry? Why?" He asks.

"Jack was…hurt when he was battling Pitch." North says.

"But, you guys are immortal right? He's going to get better?" Jamie asks.

North shakes his head slowly, and I can see Jamie's entire body stiffen. His eyes get full of tears in seconds.

"Jack's…gone?" One of the twins, I think it's Claude, asks.

"We did everything we could. There was nothing we could…" I say before remembering none of them can hear me.

"Can I…see him?" Jamie asks, and Tooth grabs his hand in hers.

"Follow me." She says. I walk with the now silent group, each kid's smile wiped clean, replaced with pale faces and red eyes. Jamie leads the group with Tooth, down some stairs. The air gets colder and colder the deeper we go. She finally turns, into a room covered floor to ceiling in ice.

There's a wide window, made of glass, which casts light on Jack's body. He lies on a stone table, hands by his sides. Someone must have arranged him like this. I don't like it. It reminds me too much of a sacrifice.

Jamie runs straight to his side, as if he's going to wake up with a single touch, a longing thought.

"He's getting fainter. Why is he getting fainter?" He murmurs.

"He's not getting fainter, Jamie." Tooth says, exchanging glances with me.

"It's because he's not believing." I say. "He's losing faith."

Jamie turns around. "Did you guys hear that?" He asks.

"Hear what?" Pippa asks. Her throat sounds thick with tears.

"That…whispering." Jamie says, and all my senses seem to go on high alert.

"Jamie? Jamie! Can you hear me?" I say excitedly, looking at his confused and hurt brown eyes.

"There it is again." Jamie says, and Bunny looks at him.

"Jamie, there's a new Guardian. Her name is Clarity. She has red hair and green eyes, and she glows like the sun. You have to believe in her. She needs you. " He says urgently.

Jamie scrunches his eyes shut. "I'm trying, I'm trying." He says.

"Bunny, it's no use. They just, can't." I can't, and Jamie's eyes shoot open.

"I heard her!" He exclaims, and I look at him in bewilderment.

"Maybe the reason no one believes in you is because you don't believe in them." North says to me. Sandy grabs my hand and moves it toward Jamie. His glow augments my own, my faltering light. Jamie squints hard.

"Jamie, please. I need you to believe in me. Maybe you can't understand me, maybe you can't see me, but you know I'm here. Isn't that enough?" I beg desperately.

"I'm sorry about Jack. I only knew him a few days, but he was one of the best people I've ever known." My tongue twists on the words, and I crouch down to Jamie's level.

All of my friends surround me, and the children surround him. I can feel him searching for me, searching for what I can do.

"I make summer. I give you those days where you run down to the pool and swim all day, and have barbecues. I chase away bad weather." I add, rambling along my path of trying to make him see me.

An image appears above Sandy's head, a miniature sun. I nod, and a little ball of light pops into existence above our circle. I hear the kids exclaim in delight as warmth fills the room, and I hear the plop of water as the walls begin to melt. Jamie's face is just as wondering, his eyes wide and tears forgotten.

His hand stretches toward my cheek, and I prepare for him to pass through me. It gets closer and closer, but I keep eye contact. And then, I feel the brush of warm skin against mine. A sudden rush of energy fills my crouching form, and the light flares brighter, along with my body. I'm shining now, really shining.

"Clarity?" Jamie asks, and I smile. A real smile, not a distraction.

"You…you can see me?" I ask, and he nods. I lunge at him with arms outstretched.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." I say, hugging him close. His arms are wrapped around my back.

"Can you guys see her too?" North asks the other children.

Emma looks confused for a second. I wait to see her reaction, Jamie still holding on to me. Then, a second cannonball hits my stomach.

Emma has latched on to me, her face staring at mine. "You saved my life." She says.

"I did." I say.

"I really wanted to say thank you." She says, and I laugh.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you." I say.

"Clarity, they see you." Tooth says with happiness in her voice.

"I know." I say.

"How do you feel?" North asks me, a hand on my shoulder. Emma releases me, and her and Jamie step back.

I look down and see myself glowing brightly, brighter then before. And I feel like I could explode with the force of the sun if I wanted.

"Good." I say, but even I can't comprehend how I feel.

"Welcome to being a Guardian. A real Guardian." He says, and I smile. My gaze glances around the room, at the other bemused children, at a beaming Sandy, a proud North, Jamie and Emma, my saviors, and my friends Bunny and Tooth looking happy just being here for me. And then it lands on Jack.

Like all my happiness has been sucked from me like a black hole, my glow dims to a candle's light, and I walk to his side. His eyes are closed. He really does look like he's sleeping. Sophie yawns loudly, and I hear the children fall quiet.

"Maybe we should get you guys to bed. You never did get a chance to sleep, and we'll have to get you back by morning." Tooth says. I hear them file away.

"Clarity?" Tooth asks, and I look at her with a sad smile.

"I'm going to stay in here tonight." I say, and she nods in understanding.

I watch him, like a vigil, staying up late to protect him. Maybe because he's protecting me as well. Only my light, illuminating him and me and nothing else, staves off the dark of the room. The after-effects of my being believed in aren't wearing off. I don't know if this is normal, or if I was weaker before, a barely-functioning Guardian, a half-dead one…

The thoughts runs like water into my head: _a half-dead Guardian, a half-dead Guardian. _Jack is sleeping, not dead. _The darkness crowds around, I'm not alive or dead, I just am. Until a hand pressed against my cheek and I became alive and glowing, a star in the sky, a star with enough energy, but he's fading from their minds, he's leaving us all his retreat is inevitable unless I can stop it but…_

I bolt upward and run toward the door, yanking it open and not bothering to close it. My legs take three stairs at a time, flight after flight. I reach the floor where the globe resists the temptations of fear and death and believes in us, and sprint to Tooth's room, my footsteps loud and obnoxious to the sleepers. But I will not allow them to sleep anymore.

"Tooth!" I shout, pounding on her door. It swings open, and I dart inside. "Tooth, wake up, wake up!" I command, shaking her still form.

"Clarity…what is it?" She asks, and her mouth opens wide in a yawn.

"I think I know how to wake up Jack."


	14. Hopes and Beliefs

**Here I am, chilling out, reading my story again, when I think oh my f**k, this is so cheesy. but I didn't want to change it, so please don't hate me for publishing this. **

**thanks to ninjaness43452 for reviewing! **

"Are you sure?" Tooth sits straight up like a board has been fastened to her back.

"Um…not positive. But it's worth a try, right?" I ask, and she flies above my head.

"I guess. It's just…it is not…dangerous, right?" She asks tentatively.

I think about my plan, all the possibilities. "No." I lie. "It's not dangerous."

It's a good thing I'm a good liar. "We'll suggest it to the others." She says.

We split up, Tooth heading down to the two rooms designated as rooms for the kids, me knocking on Bunny and Sandy's doors.

"Clarity, the sun isn't up yet. What do you want?" Bunny asks through the door.

"I'll explain later. Just get up." I say to the wood, and it opens.

"This better be important." He growls at me.

Sandy simply floats out, his eyes still closed, snoring softly. "Okay then." I say quietly, and I walk quickly down the stairs to where Jack is. Tooth joins us with North and the kids.

"Clarity, Tooth told me of your plan. I'm not sure if it is the smartest path of action." North says.

"It's this or we let Jack go. I'm not willing to do that." I say forcefully.

We reach the room. The moon is shining in through the window. I take it as a good sign.

"Okay, everyone, circle around Jack." I say, and they fan out in the circle. I link hands with Jamie and Bunny, and everyone in the circle does the same. It never ends, the hands gripping each other.

"Can you still see him?" I ask Jamie, and he looks at me sadly.

"Barely at all." He says.

"Clarity, why are we doing this?" Bunny asks.

"We need to strengthen our belief in Jack. After they started believing in me, I felt energized. If we can provide a strong enough jolt, it might be enough to wake him up." I explain.

"I don't know…" Tooth says.

"Have a little faith." I say with a half-smile.

"Okay, guys, focus on Jack. He's still there, he can still help us, and we just have to wake him up. Come on." I say, and the kids nod. I've never seen anyone more determined, more driven to succeed.

I look at Jack, his ice-cold skin, pale and stiff. Maybe if I look closer, I can see his skin getting the slightest bit pinker. But it'll never be enough.

"It's easy. Like shaking awake your mom or dad when you have a nightmare." I tell them.

A few more seconds pass, and I hear Tooth sigh. Her hands rip from North and Pippa's, and just like that, the chain breaks.

"Clarity, it's not going to work. It's time to let him rest in peace." She says.

I suddenly feel angry at how easily she's giving up, my fire relit, at my fingers. "This is why he won't respond. Because you don't believe he will ever wake up. I can't let go of that hope. We have to trust this is going to work, or it never will." I say.

The room goes quiet. I see the children struggling to comprehend what I said, when Bunny takes a step forward. "I have hope. I'll always have hope." He says, and he grabs Jamie's other hand. Jamie's brows seem to connect.

"I believe in Jack Frost." He says.

"I do to." Emma says, and I beam at her from across the room. She grabs Pippa's hand, and Pippa nods.

"I want him to come back." She says, holding onto Tooth.

Tooth looks at me, and I see her resolve firming. "I have always believed he could be a Guardian." She says.

Monty holds onto two hands silently, but Cupcake, holding onto him, says, "I believe."

"I do to." Claude says, followed quickly by his brother.

Sandy nods and smiles, and I look at North. He smiles at me. "I believe in Jack Frost, the one and only, and I will not let Pitch steal him from us." He proclaims. Finally, it's my turn.

I hold onto Jamie and Bunny and smile at them, the first supporters.

"Thank you." I say, and I look at Jack. "I believed in you from the very first moment I saw you, and I will never stop believing in you." I say to him.

Suddenly, fire seems to race from my hands up my arms into my lungs. I feel the room gasp in amazement as the burning sensation fills my body like a balloon. I projecting light like, like…

"Clarity…you're going star-like." Bunny says.

I don't look at him, just stare at Jack. The energy streaming from the bodies in the room pulls me towards him, and it's becoming unbearable. I lunge from my place in the circle, breaking the chain. The energy keeps increasing despite the broken connection.

"Everyone get down!" I shout, and I press my lips to his.

_Jack's POV_

_I_

_I am_

_I am landing_

_I am landing on a hard surface_

_I am landing on a hard surface, and I am burning_

_I cannot burn_

_I have to stop it_

_Clarity's POV_

I barely have time to register all that I do. The sensation of burning flooding out of my body, the way my light intensifies so that it hurts the eyes, the odd feeling of cold and hot intermixing, it happens within a few seconds. A few seconds of strange bliss and perfection. And the energy between us keeps building, reaching a dangerously high peak.

I hear the explosion before I feel it. I'm thrown back, my vision obscured by the light I'm casting. I hit the window, and hear a crack. The window shatters under the force, and I'm falling.

I scream, the sound drawn out over the air. I'm falling backwards, with no control. I don't have time to be scared.

A comet shoots from the window and towards me, hurtling down at impossible speeds. Within seconds, it catches me, and I look into the bright, sparkling, and alive eyes of Jack Frost.

"Miss me?" He asks with a smirk, and I stare at him in disbelief.

"What, no words of happiness that I'm alive? No shouts of joy, no serenade? I have to say I'm a bit disappointed." He jokes, and I'm jerked out of my reverie.

"Shut up." I say, and I lean into him as we bob midair, mouths connecting in the perfect kiss. I feel him smile, and I laugh a little.

We're soaring up; his arms still wrapped around me like some kind of really sarcastic, really young angel. I land on the doorway gently, and he jumps in behind me. The expressions of shock and joy on my friends' faces are worth the fall.

"Jack!" A voice shrills, and I hear a thump as Jamie hurtles at Jack.

"Hey there, bud." Jack ruffles Jamie's hair.

"I thought you were gone forever." Jamie says, his voice muffled.

"Never." Jack says.

"Clarity." Bunny puts a soft paw on my arm. "You're bleeding."

I look down. A long cut traces its way down my arm, red.

"It must have happened when I fell." I say.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Completely involuntary." Jack says, the crowd of children converging on him. I feel a tug on my sleeve, and look down. Emma stands there.

"Clarity?" She asks.

"Yeah?" I ask.

"I want to go home." She says, and I smile.

"We're going to get you home. We have to get you all home." I say to the room.

Jack is looking at me, with pride in his eyes. I don't get why.

"What're you looking at me like that for?" I ask.

"She sees you." He says, and I smile.

"Oh yeah, while you were gone, I managed to convince these guys I actually exist." I say.

"Looks like you had a good time." He says, and my smile falls.

"Not really." I say quietly.

The silence stretches out awkwardly until North coughs. "Well, then, we should really get these little guys home." He says.

"I'll take Emma." I say immediately.

"I'll go with Tooth and Sandy to Burgess." North says. "We'll take the sleigh." The kids smile instantly.

"Oh, I wanna go on the sleigh." Emma says.

"Sorry, kiddo, I can't do that. But, tell me, do you like horses?" I ask, and she nods.

"Well, that's good, because we're going to go for a ride." I say, and I follow the bigger group of kids outside.

Ignoring the twelve reindeer stamping impatiently, I head straight for True, who looks just as impatient.

"This is Truly." I say to Emma, who laughs and smiles. I grab her waist and whirl her onto his back. I mount behind her, and Jack grabs my leg.

"I'll go with you." Jack volunteers.

"No." I say.

"You can't go by yourself. What if Pitch is out there?" he asks.

"I can handle Pitch." I say.

"Clarity, look, I'm sorry I said that. It just slipped out." Jack says.

"I know. I just need some time to think, to work some things out." I say.

I can't forget the promise I made, that I had no more secrets to give, that I wasn't lying. But it feels like I lie every time I talk to him.

Jack steps back. "Okay, fine. Be careful." He says.

"I will. Have fun with Bunny." I say with a smile.

"True, come on. Let's go." I say, and he snorts. We gallop past the sleigh, still getting coordinated, and I hear a "whoa" from on of the kids. Emma laughs as we soar into the sky, completely free.

**Thanks for reading! Luv you guys! :)**


	15. Thinking Isn't For War

**Hey, sorry for the late update! OMG I had temporary writer's block. I'm sorry!**

**Thanks for thegirlwhosinlovewithapen for reviewing! Please review**

**Here it is, but first, an important question. Name for a new character for a different story. I've narrowed it down to two options. **

**Overview: **

**She has a dark past and is starting over, with a new job in a new city. Sherlock doesn't care which cases he takes on. She has a problem. He may be able to fix it. But as he digs deeper into the case and she gets to know him better, they both uncover things that shouldn't see the light of day. Is it possible that the girl who swore never to love again and the man who thinks love is weakness might be falling into just that?**

**I know the summary sucks, but I'll improve it. Now for the name: Naomi or Aria? PM me or if you're writing a review, put it into the review please.**

**Here is what you came for:**

I set Emma down in her bed. She's fast asleep, not moving even as I cover her with a blanket and set her rabbit next to her. I can't fathom how, but she managed to fall asleep within the ten minutes we were in the air. I hear a woman ask, "Emma?", and I slip outside before she comes inside.

I'm exhausted. Bringing Jack back to life drained me of energy. I can barely remember the exhilaration having believers brought. I hop onto True's back.

"Can we just fly a bit? I need to think." I say to True, who pushes off of the ground with strong back legs.

_We may be flying, but I feel like I'm falling, helpless. And no one is going to come catch me. _

_I'm sinking in a quicksand pit of lies. I lied to Jack when I said I had no more secrets. I lied to Tooth when I said bringing Jack back wasn't dangerous. I lied to myself when I promised not to get attached. I'm about as attached as you can get._

_I don't know what my center is. If only I knew for sure, maybe my way would be clear._

"Why me?" I ask of the Moon, as if he'll answer. "I can't stand not knowing!" He stares down at me with his massive eye. "Fine! Fine." I shout, my voice falling.

As I look at him, a cloud passes in front of him, a big, dark one. It sparks a fire of dread, and I don't know why. But I have a feeling I'm needed somewhere else.

The portal spins in front of us. "Okay, True, this leads directly to North's palace. Like the inner part. So, please, don't attack anyone." I say, and he gallops through the air to the portal.

I am a fool. Thinking is for free moments. Thinking is for times when you aren't at the beck and call of a being infinitely older then you. Thinking isn't designed to be done in war. There just isn't enough time.

True's hooves make sharp noises on the stone tile. I'm already swinging off as he trots up to Bunny.

"Clarity, good, you're back." He says. He seems agitated.

"Yeah. Where's Jack?" I ask. There's no point in trying to explain how I felt something was wrong. If I wasn't me, I would dismiss it as coincidence.

"Waiting for the others. They should be back soon." He says. His foot is tapping up and down.

"Bunny, what is it? You're driving me crazy." I say.

"Well, I could've sworn I just saw a light go out." He says. "But last time they all went out at once, so I'm not positive."

I look at the globe. It seems normal enough. And then, in Australia, a yellow light flickers, and disappears.

"There's another." I say. "But don't lights go out everyday? I mean, kids grow up and get told you guys don't exist."

"True." Bunny says, but the thought of every child not believing puts me on edge. I keep staring at the globe, and my foot begins to tap up and down on the ground.

"You're back." I hear Tooth call out.

"It didn't take too long." I say, still preoccupied with the globe.

"What are you two staring at?" Jack asks, moving to my side.

"It's probably nothing." I say.

"Yeah. We're just overreacting." Bunny adds, but neither of us turns away.

"Are the lights flickering?" North says.

"Not exactly." I say.

"Not yet." A voice says, and then I see him, standing on top of the globe.

"Of course, they will soon. Whether it's on the summer solstice, Christmas, or everyday things like precious little dreams, those lights will begin to go out, one by one." Pitch says.

"Pitch!" North roars, and he throws his sword like a javelin toward Pitch.

Pitch evades it easily.

"Where are my elves and the yeti?" North shouts.

"Don't worry, Santa, I haven't harmed them. Yet." Pitch says, and his laugh rebounds around the room.

"You, you monster. You scoundrel!" North roars as he spins around, looking for Pitch.

"Ooo, I'm terrified. What are you going to do to me?" Pitch appears right behind North, and before I can shout a warning, he vanishes again.

"Oh look, it's my dear friend Clarity. I see you've found yourself a couple believers." Pitch says, as if he's right behind me. I spin around, and a wall of shadow erects itself from the ground. I turn to escape, but the wall forms a perfect circle around me.

"Clarity!" I hear Jack shout.

"I'm okay!" I shout back.

"Oh, they can't hear you." Pitch says, melting from the blackness.

"Pitch! Let me go." I say.

"I must say, I'm surprised Jack is still…moving. You found a way to bring him back, I see." He says nonchalantly.

"It must be annoying, knowing that the children are still more powerful then you." I say.

"I admit it did set back our plans slightly. But no matter," Pitch says, "We still have you, don't we?"

"You don't." I answer.

"Clarity, Clarity, Clarity. You should have learned by now that nothing's impossible. I mean, you swore not to open up, and yet I felt your anguish as you saw Jack, lying there, stiff as a board, not dead but certainly not living…"

"Stop it!" I shout.

"My offer still stands. You can still return to your old life, Clarity. Or should I call you Claire?"

I whirl around, sending a burst of light towards him, but he only smiles and disappears.

"Claire died on that street. I am not her anymore." I say.

"If you say so," Pitch says into my ear, and I turn on my heel. He's inches away from my face, his snake-like yellow eyes boring holes into mine. All my worst fears seem to come to life.

"If you think a few children who believe in you and Jack can make you powerful, you are wrong. You will never know true power unless you follow me." He says, and I rip away from him, furious he can make me so afraid with a single glance.

"No!" I shout. Beams of light shoot from my body and the wall is dispelled. I hear Pitch's chuckle before Jack shouts, "Clarity!"

My eyelids droop. "I'm tired." I say with a massive yawn, and my knees start to buckle. Jack catches me before I fall.

"Can I sleep now?" I ask.

"Yeah." He says with a smile.

"Cool." I murmur, and I close my eyes.


	16. Best Laid Plans

**PLEASE READ THIS AND DON'T SKIP IT! Okay so tomorrow I'm probably not posting a chapter. If I do, it'll be around 2 in the morning California time. So sorry! Here's a second chapter of the day though.**

**CONTINUE READING! If you skipped this bit the last chapter, please go back and read it, then PM me/ review and say which name you prefer: Naomi or Aria. **

**Okay here's the chapter. Sorry it's on the short side. The next one is a long and important one...;)**

_I am a nightmare._

_Wait, no, that's not right. I'm Clarity. I'm a Guardian. I am not a nightmare._

_I'm just living one._

_Pitch is there. He's listing off my worst fears, casually, nonchalantly even. Every time he does, I see it come to life._

_"Number one: dying. Rather selfish, don't you think Clarity?" He says, and I scream as Death comes toward me._

_"Number two: hurting your new friends. That's interesting." Pitch says, and I watch as I die and my friends perish._

_"Number three: losing your family. But you already did that, didn't you?" I watch, as my brother gets further away from the world._

_"Number four, oh I like this one." Pitch smiles. "Falling in love. Can you say you've accomplished that yet?"_

_"Number five: losing your friends. You've already experienced that once, didn't you? What, it wasn't pleasant?" He says, and I see the Guardians, Emma, and Jamie, stone cold and white. _

_"Stop it." I say._

_"No." He retorts, like a child. "You only have five fears. And yet, you don't fear me." _

_"Only children fear you." I say._

_"You'll fear me too, before the end. Don't worry. It's coming." He says, and I fall into nightmares that get worse and worse. _

_Jack's POV_

_ I am having nightmares, like I always seem to do._

_"What are your fears, Jack Frost?" Pitch asks me._

_"I am not afraid." I retort._

_"Hmm, let's see them, your worst fears. I'm afraid they've increased a bit. Number one: losing your believers. Touching."_

_I strain to reach him, but something holds me back. I see Jamie and Sophie and their friends, all cold and still. _

_"Number two: losing Clarity. You two are so sweet. It'll never work, the summer spirit and the winter spirit? Of course, you know that. It's part of your fear." Pitch says._

_"Which brings us to number three: Clarity losing you. You can only imagine how much pain she went through. She sobbed and screamed your name and fell asleep dreaming of you and it hurt her so much." Pitch says, relishing every word. It feels like an iron screw is twisting into my stomach._

_"Go away! Leave me alone. I don't fear you and I never will." I shout._

_"Alright. I'll leave you alone. But I'm going to tell you something. You may not fear me now, but you will before the end. It's coming faster then you think." Pitch fades away in the black and I tumble through the air in a free fall._

Clarity's POV

I jerk awake covered in sweat. My clothes stick to my skin as I swing my legs out of bed. I haven't gotten a decent night's sleep in days. Pitch's last sentence bounces around my skull. _It's coming. It's coming. _But what is he planning? What's coming?

I have to tell the others, quickly. I open the door and look down the hall. All the doors are open. Voices come from North's study. I hurry down the hall and walk inside.

"Clarity! Good, you are awake." North says.

"Why didn't you guys wake me up?" I ask.

"It was my idea. I figured you could use the sleep." Jack says.

"Well, I wasn't sleeping too well anyway." I say, and I face the group.

"You'll fear me too, before the end. It's coming." I quote, and their eyes widen. "Pitch visited me last night, in my dreams. That's what he told me."

"He came to me too. You may not fear me now, but you will before the end. It's coming faster then you think." Jack says.

"Original." Bunny says sarcastically.

"One thing is clear though. Pitch is ready to end this. He's entering his endgame. We have to be ready." I say.

"How? We don't even know what he's planning!" Tooth exclaims.

"We know he's been targeting people we know. He also knows our worst fears, our pressure points. I bet you anything he'll press on them until we crack." I say.

"So, we need to find our pressure points and defend them." Bunny says.

"But we can't split up. Every time we do, Pitch attacks." Tooth points out.

"Okay, so we stick together. Where first?" I ask.

"Obviously Burgess." Jack says, and Bunny nods in agreement.

"Where else might we need to go?" Tooth asks.

"Uh…I might have a place." I say.

"There are two problems with this plan." North says. "One, it leaves my castle undefended. Two, we cannot just kidnap the children. Parents will worry."

"That's true. Maybe we should just station ourselves in Burgess, call the important stuff from the castle there once we're settled. Could you bring whoever is in trouble on your end with you, Clarity?" Tooth says.

"Maybe. I don't know." I say.

"Well, that's settled then." North says. "We take the sleigh."

I hop into the sleigh, and True snorts at me.

I stare at his long face for a moment and sigh. "You can fly alongside, okay?"

North takes the reins and grins. "Take a nice seat. The view will be very nice."

Bunny rolls his eyes. "I hate this thing." He says, already holding his stomach.

"Are you kidding? It's so…high-tech." I say.

"I told you, we just had an upgrade." North says, and Tooth gets in.

"Let's go." He says, and he slaps the reins loudly. The twelve reindeer take off like a shot, and I hear a whinny as True follows.


	17. Believe in Me

**Hey guys. Sorry about the wait. I'm stopping my little naming contest. I figured it out. There are approximately five chapters left in this story not including this one, so the end is approaching. (:'( sad face). But that also means my supertacular Sherlock fic is going to be starting soon. I'm going to really try on this one. Editing and everything (OMG!). So enjoy this and check out the next one. When I post the first chapter I'll let you know :)**

**Here you go!**

The sleigh is amazing, gliding through the air smoothly. True is a great flier, no question, but he surges up and down with every wing beat. This, this is flying. We begin to spiral down toward Burgess, and I look around. No sign of Pitch, black sand, or nightmares.

"We're going down." North warns us, and I grip the handlebar with both hands. The landing isn't smooth. We grate to a halt in a small park, empty now.

"Jamie's house is right across the way." Jack says.

"Then we'll stay here." North says. "But first, we must go with Clarity. There doesn't seem to be trouble." We didn't even get out of the sleigh.

"I just want to warn you, it's a long shot." I say.

"That's exactly why we came here first." Tooth says.

"Where we off to then?" North asks.

"My old home." I say.

"This is where you used to live?" Tooth asks.

"Yeah. Right down there." I say with a faint smile as I point to the two-story yellow house. The sun is setting in the west, and True is silhouetted against the globe.

"What are all those lights?" North asks, and I peer over the side to where he's gesturing. Further down the street is lit up red and blue, and now that I listen, I can hear sirens blaring out a cacophony of noise.

"Let's get a closer look." I say, and the sleigh dips down toward the commotion. Dozens of people crowd around the outskirts of the orange cones put up.

A woman is crying. I can hear her clearly over the sound. Maybe it's because I know her voice. We swoop overhead, right over the crowd's heads, and I see an ambulance. A couple paramedics are loading a prone form onto a stretcher. The woman still cries as she stands next to the paramedics. She has red hair.

My hands propel me over the side of the still-moving sleigh before anyone can grab me.

"Clarity!" Jack's voice yells as I stumble on impact. The shock dissipates quickly as I totter forward toward the weeping woman.

"Mom!" I scream, but of course she doesn't turn around. She's crying, which can only mean…

"Max?" I whisper as I step through an adult to reach the stretcher. His face looks pale, his clothes mussed and covered in dirt.

"Clarity, what do you think you're doing?" Jack shouts at me, and I don't answer as the stretcher is wheeled away into the ambulance. My mother follows.

"Clarity!" Jack says forcefully.

"M-my brother. He was h-hurt. I have to see him." I stutter, trying to follow the ambulance.

"That was your brother?" jack asks incredulously, and he grabs my shoulders as I try to follow.

"You can't go. He's alive, isn't he? He's going to be fine." Jack says, and I jerk away from him. He doesn't understand. He can't.

I run down the street, charging through people on my way to refuge. The grass feels soft underneath my feet as I stride across it, only stopping once I've reached the center of the lake.

The air makes breathing harder, each intake stabbing at my lungs with a knife. But at least I escaped the others, my life, my pain.

"It's not that easy." Jack says, and I whirl away from him like a child. True stands next to him, his head drooping.

"Clarity, it's going to be okay. We need to focus on the mission." He says and I hear the others land with a clunk. My fury bubbles into my throat, and I burst out, still refusing to face him.

"The mission? The mission? Do you really think I give a damn about that now? My brother has been injured! My mom does not need to lose another kid!" I shout at him.

"Why are you shouting at me?" He yells back.

"Because you don't understand! All you care about is getting Pitch!" I shout.

"You know that isn't true!" He says angrily.

"I think it is! Just, leave me alone!" I shout at him.

I feel a light touch on my shoulder. "Clarity." Jack says softly, and I explode.

"Leave me alone!" I scream, and fire bursts from my hands, blowing backwards with the force of a hurricane.

It disappears within seconds, and my anger drains with it. I feel my hands shaking and a snowball of fear has rolled into my throat. I spin around and immediately meet Jack's eyes. They are shadowed, and he backs up slowly. The other Guardians look afraid. Bunny holds his boomerang in his hand, Tooth's hands cover her mouth, Sandy stares at me with shock in his eyes, and North just looks at me with such profound sadness it breaks my heart. His hands rest on the hilt of his sword.

A laugh bounces around the air, and they all tense. I stay limp. I knew it wouldn't be long before he arrived.

"Clarity, my darling." Pitch says, swooping around me. "So glad you chose now rather than later." I stare at Jack with pleading eyes, but he doesn't move.

"He won't help you." Pitch says. "I told you so."

I stay completely still, just looking at Jack helplessly.

"You aren't being much fun today." Pitch pouts. "Where's your spirit? Did I finally break it?" He says the words slowly, with relish.

"No." I mutter.

"Well, then, let us continue." Pitch says.

"You know when you made her promise never to keep another secret? Your oh-so-faithful Clarity was backed into a corner there, wasn't she? She knew that you would cast her out if she told the truth, but she couldn't lie. Or could she?" Pitch says to Jack.

"Jack, please." I beg, and he looks at Pitch.

"You see, I got to know Clarity over the past week. All those late-night chats we had about fear…" Pitch says with a devilish smile.

"It wasn't like that. He just showed up. I didn't want him there." I say feverishly.

"Could've fooled me." Pitch says nonchalantly. "Remember the very first time I visited, Clarity? I told you that you could have _exactly_ what you wanted, your old life, your family, and your normal, peaceful life. Oh, and you wanted to. You desperately wanted to give up your powers and the Guardians to me, to betray them. You came this close."

He turns to the group. "Now tell me, is that someone you would trust to fight alongside you? A girl, a newborn, able to destroy with fire, full of fear, a perfect conduit for me, and she almost betrayed you once already." He says loudly. I can see the doubt in their eyes.

"Oh, and don't forget the one last secret Clarity forgot to mention." Pitch says.

"Please." I whisper.

"She can die." He pronounces each word as if it's from heaven.

North's mouth forms an o.

"What?" Bunny asks.

"Isn't it delightful? I could drive a sword through her heart right now, and she'd never move again!" Pitch says happily.

"Jack, I never wanted to hurt you." I say.

"I find that hard to believe." He says emotionlessly.

"You have to! I'm still Clarity. Believe in me." I say, and Pitch laughs chillingly.

"You're wasting your breath." He whispers.

"Get away from me." I say, and he fades into the black, still snickering.

"Jack…" I trail off when I see the ice in his eyes, and mine fill with water that sting.

"I wish I could believe in you, but I can't. I cannot trust you anymore." He says coldly. "You lied to me from day one. I let you in, and you betrayed me. Betrayed us."

"No, I didn't." I say.

"I think you need to go. Don't bother coming back." Jack says, and I feel my insides freeze over.

"You don't mean that." I say.

"I do. Leave, now." He says.

"Tooth, Sandy, Bunny? You know I'm not bad. I never meant for any of this to happen." I say pleadingly.

Bunny meets my eyes, and he takes a small step forward.

"Maybe we should think about this mate. We need her on our side, and she seems sincere. I think we should consider…"

"No." North says commandingly, and my eyes get big.

"Clarity, Jack is right. You should go." He continues.

I keep staring at Jack until he turns his head, walking back to the group. With the connection broken, I feel weak. My head falls forward slowly, and True walks toward me. He doesn't look at the group once, not even a kick or attempted bite. He's as defeated as me.

I mount quickly and look back at them once. I don't say a word, but a tears slips down my cheek. The moon seems trapped in it, like liquid moonshine. It freezes there, and I don't bother to wipe it away. My glow is almost gone.

I nudge True, and he pushes off. The moment we are away, I collapse into his neck, completely silent tears streaming down my face and falling like bombs onto the streets below.


	18. No Longer Me

**Hola mis amigos! (hello friends) I am sorry for the lateness (again). Pivotal chapter here!**

**How many of you actually watch Sherlock? Just wondering! **

**As always, please review. **

**Here you go!**

_Jack's POV_

I don't watch as she takes off. I don't watch her fly away into the darkening sky. I don't listen for her voice. I just don't. I refuse.

"Jack…" Tooth says, her voice soft and quiet.

"Don't." I say, my voice like flint, and her mouth closes.

"We have to go back to Burgess." I say, walking back to the sleigh.

"Is that really what you're thinking about, mate? You just exiled your girlfriend." Bunny says.

"So? We have other things to think about." I say. Even my lungs feel hard, not breathing. I know what that's like.

"Listen, mate. I don't know what your problem is, but you just made a terrible mistake. We just lost our best chance at winning this war." Bunny says.

"If you want to follow her, go right ahead." I say, and Bunny steps toward me.

"You aren't thinking clearly. You are letting your feelings cloud your judgment. We need her. And you," He turns on North. "What were you supporting him for? You were the one who supported her in the first place."

"It was the right thing to do." North says gruffly, and Bunny's arms cross.

"Whatever. I'm not going anywhere. I'm loyal to our cause. But this isn't right." He says.

"This is war. This isn't kindergarten morals class." I say. "I'll meet you back in Burgess."

I sail into the sky with one command, the wind tossing me, letting me fall several feet before catching me again.

It feels like everything I've known all my life is tumbling away. She reached into my chest and pulled out my heart the first time we met. I thought there was a future there, but Pitch was right. Winter and summer, fire and ice, they don't mix. She lied to me this whole time. She brought me back from the nearly dead, but even that feels like a lie, like she could only do it because of Pitch.

I've lost my identity, and I can't find it. My soul

I never imagined the first time I fell in love would hurt so much.

_Clarity's POV_

I am still crying as True and I sail yards above the trees of some forest. I don't know where I am. I don't even know who I am.

I'm lost without his smile, his presence in my soul. I keep reminding myself that I'll never again see him, that he'll never look at me with love in his glittering blue eyes. The way they pierced my lungs, letting out all my air in one swift blow. It wasn't a quick stabbing pain, more of the slow ache of a gunshot wound after the bullet has been removed.

And my brother, helpless, broken in the street. My mother crying because she's been through this before. What will happen to them? I can no longer protect them. I am…weak, helpless.

At the thought, my outer light flickers. I don't care if it stays out forever, but it feebly comes back to life, still flashing slightly. True knickers worriedly, but I don't know how to repair it. I don't even know how to repair myself.

The air suddenly becomes ice-cold, and without thinking, I look around for a flying boy with silver hair.

"You really are in love!" Pitch shouts at me, and I meet his eyes across the yards and yards of sky.

"Can't you leave me alone?" I scream at him in frustration and pain.

"I wish I could, but I made a promise. I will break your spirit in any way possible." Pitch says, and I notice the storm cloud behind him. It isn't a normal storm cloud; it whirls and spins and changes shape. He raises his hand slowly, bringing it to his forehead. Then he unmistakably salutes me.

The storm spins forward in a tidal wave, rushing toward me. True dives immediately, and I crouch on his neck.

"Go, go, go!" I shout, and he speeds toward the ground. We're so close; we're brushing the tops of the trees.

Then I can't see. The nightmares block my view, and I close my eyes tightly, trying to ward them off, clinging around True's neck like a baby monkey. And suddenly, I'm holding onto nothing. I'm freefalling, tumbling to the ground. Branches scrape my arms and legs as I curl into a ball, but nothing breaks my fall.

I hit the ground with a thud. Everything hurts, a bone-aching soreness, stinging cuts, and sharpness in my esophagus.

"True?" I call out. There's no answer. "True!" I scream, and Pitch laughs. He circles above me, the nightmares around him, taking the form of horses prancing. I see a flash of gold in the thousands and thousands.

My glow disappears. "No." I say.

"Looks like I finally broke your spirit, Clarity. Say goodbye to your companion. You won't be seeing him for a while. Try eternity!" Pitch shouts at me, feverish glee carried by his voice, and they vanish. True is gone.

I crumple, not crying, not breaking down, because I am numb. I can't feel the pain of my bruises and scrapes, or the thorn in my heart.

Everything is gone. I've lost it all along the way. I've lost my mother, my brother, my one true companion, my Guardianship, my friends, my love. The only thing left is fear, and it is consuming me daily. Pitch is right. My spirit is broken, no, not only broken, crushed into fine powder by the weight of my loss. Is my heart even beating? Am I breathing? I don't know. I don't care. I am nothing anymore.

A beam of light hits my face. I don't want to move out of its way, but that's what I am. I am in its way.

_No, Clarity._ A voice says inside my head, and I look up.

"Great time for you to talk to me." I say, my voice hollow and void of emotion.

"Why did you choose me? I screwed everything up. I couldn't save my family, I couldn't protect True, and I hurt Jack, Bunny, and the others." I say. The moon continues to look at me.

"Why did you make me so dangerous, so afraid? None of the others were frightened. That's why Pitch chose me." I say.

_No._ The voice says, and I look up.

"Why then?" I ask.

_You are the solution._ The moon says simply, and I shake my head.

"That isn't good enough." I say, my voice near breaking point.

_You are weak, strong, volatile, stable, caring, expressive, passionate. You have a million different faces. _ The moon says.

"So what? I don't know what I am, what my center is. Please, just, help me. Who am I?" I say.

There is a long pause, where I sit with my hands folded and I wait for his final answer.

_You are a Guardian. You are Clarity. You are love. _He says, and it's as if his words are the key to all my questions, all my fears. I inhale, and it sounds like a gasp.

"I'm a Guardian?" I ask.

_Yes._

"Can I still help them?"

_Of course._

"How?"

_You decide._

I pause for a second. "I think…I know what I need to do. I can't just give up, can I? I have to keep fighting."

I can feel his smile as I stand. The warmth I feel in that moment is like a spark on a match, and my hands begin to glow.

"Thank you. Thank you for helping me." I say.

I feel his eye on me as I create a portal and step through it.


	19. Not Giving Up

**Latest update guys! Enjoy. Only 4 chapters left! Please review!**

I venture into the dark wasteland, all grey and black. The only light comes from a dismal globe dimly shining with millions of lights. It's an exact replica of North's globe. I look for Pitch, but he isn't here, not yet. I have to hurry.

I walk along the angular corridors, listening intently for any sound. I don't want to call out for fear that someone might hear and come looking. Finally, after minutes of wandering, I hear the faint tinkle of a bell.

I walk stealthily to the source of the noise, staying in the shadows. Every rustle makes my nerves fray a little more. I'm so tense I could leap out of my skin. But the sound lures me on, step by step by step.

I finally reach a wide room, soaring high above me and stretching endlessly below. I stay away from the edge, far away. That's when I see the cages. Hundreds of them, some holding dozens of elves, some holding yeti. They are strung above the abyss, impossible for me to reach.

That's when I hear a snort. I jump around, coming face to face with a black nightmare taking the shape of a horse. I immediately reach for my bow and arrow. It paws the ground, and I lower my hands, stretching one forward tentatively. The horse extends its neck forward and presses its nose to my palm. There is a burst of light, blinding, and the horse transforms into golden sand.

"You were originally made of Sandy's dreams, weren't you?" I ask, and the horse bobs its head happily.

"I need to free these elves. Can you help me?" I ask, and the horse kneels. I mount stiffly, and we soar into the air, straight to the first cage, holding nine or ten of the elves. I unhook the cage as silently as I can, holding it just barely from a few fingers. The horse swoops down to the solid ground, and I set down the cage.

"How am I supposed to carry the yeti?" I ask no one. Then a brilliant plan jumps into my head.

I quickly undo the latch on the cage, and the elves come pouring out.

"Keep quiet." I say, and I create a portal.

"This'll take you to North. Go on." I say to them, and they file in, going into the portal.

It goes quickly after that. I begin creating portals directly below the cages and unlatching them, letting the elves and yeti jump in to escape. I only had to save three falling elves before most had left. I have two more cages left when I heard the noise.

_Jack's POV_

We file back to Burgess dejectedly, the air frosty between Bunny and I, Tooth and Sandy just exchanging sad glances. I keep hearing her voice in my head, giving my advice, telling me I'm an idiot, smiling that damned smile.

When we land, we stumble out, shoulders rigid and tense as we head to the small park across from Jamie's house. It is dark here, and the moon is high in the sky.

_I feel like I keep messing up._ I say to him silently. He doesn't answer. Of course he doesn't. He doesn't speak to us directly.

_I really need someone's help right now._ I tell him, though I don't expect an answer. It's almost comforting to confide in someone who won't talk back.

"Jack?" Tooth asks, her voice high, and I hurry over.

"What? What is it?" I ask, and she gestures feebly in front of us. I look at the ground, and my mouth drops open.

A crowd of elves stands before us, the yeti lined up behind. As I watch, a portal opens up, spitting out another yeti. North smiles as the elves flood toward him.

"But, how?" I stammer.

"Looks like _someone_ is still on our side." Bunny says shortly.

_Clarity's POV_

I look around cautiously for the sound. It was a low scraping, like shale against rock. There are shadows on the opposite side of the abyss that seem to reach for me. I urge the horse to the next cage, unlatching it and watching as the elves jump into the portal.

There it is again, that noise. It gives me shivers up and down my spine, and I glance around again.

His eyes bore into my brain, or should I say the place where his eyes should be? They are just black pits, dark as the chasm beneath me. His hands, skeletal in appearance, reach for me like I belong to him.

"Hurry!" I command the horse, frozen in shock, and it flies to the last cage. Death takes a step toward me, and his foot stays above the canyon. He walks toward me slowly. My fingers fumble with the latch. The yeti inside stares at me with fear in its brown eyes as I struggle to flip it open.

"Yes." I hiss, as the door swings open. I make the portal, and look for Death. He is still moving toward me, only feet away. The yeti jumps, and instantly, the horse wheels toward solid ground. Death follows us, his steps quicker. We land with a jolt, and I swing off. Another portal waits ahead of us.

I hear a cry, and I look around. A glint catches my eye. There is a elf hanging from the edge of the canyon, wailing pitifully.

"Go!" I shout to the dream-horse, and it hesitates. "I'll be fine. Go!" I order, and it canters through the portal. I run to the edge, reaching for the elf desperately. It stretches a tiny hand toward me, and I lean over the edge to reach him. I look around for Death. He is reaching for me, walking across the solid ground now. His steps get faster and faster, as if he's draining energy from me.

"Just a little more." I say, craning my neck to see the elf. He looks terrified. I hear a rattling breath, and I jump to a standing position. My hands slip on the arrows as I struggle to fit one to the string. Death begins to smile as I prepare the bow. I shoot.

The arrow imbeds itself into Death's shoulder, and his smile fails as he lets out a keening howl. I throw the last bit of my power into the chasm and lunge for the elf. The moment I feel his hand in mine, I throw him through the portal. His yell of surprise fades away as he disappears. Death is recovering, standing back up, charging at me.

I take a deep breath and shut my eyes. My feet fly off the edge of the ground, and my arms begin to flail wildly. I hear a scream of rage as I fly through the air and plummet through space.

_Jack's POV_

I look at the group dumbfounded as we all stare at the members of North's workforce.

"But where did they come from?" Tooth asks.

"Beats me." I say.

"Look, another portal." Bunny points to it. A yeti tumbles out, stammering wildly. North's eyes narrow.

"He says a glowing girl rescued them." He tells us.

"Not possible." I say.

"There's another." Tooth says, and I watch as a golden shape soars out of the whirlpool. For a moment, I think it's Clarity, riding True, coming back. But it isn't. It's one of Sandy's dreams.

He trots up to Sandy, who smiles and puts his hand on his flank. The horse dissolves and Sandy makes the shape of Clarity's face above his head.

"Why isn't she here then?" Bunny asks, and Sandy's brow furrows. The sand spiraling above his head makes the shape of Death. He walks toward Clarity slowly, and she creates a portal, urging the dream through. The image fades.

"Is she okay?" I ask, and Sandy shrugs.

"I thought you didn't care." Bunny challenges, and I look at him. His anger melts from his face.

"You were right. I was wrong to send her away. I…let my anger cloud my judgment. I should have understood why she kept her secrets. Is that an acceptable apology?" I say. I don't say everything I truly want to. That I regret the decision and I wish I could take it back. That I wish I could heal my hollowness that I now realize is that severed connection, like a wound that takes forever to heal. That I wish I could just put the halves back together.


	20. Two Wars

**Hey guys. Three more chapters! Then comes Star Trek: Voyager and Sherlock, both of which I'm super excited for. Enjoy this one. Please review as well!**

I'm floating in waves. Literally. I wasn't thinking too clearly when I jumped through that portal, and now I'm off shore in the ocean. I can see the beach, that's the ridiculous thing. I begin swimming, each stroke barely pushing me through the water.

I'm exhausted when I finally stumble onto sand. It grates into my face as I lie down, chest heaving, water streaming off of me in streams. I don't feel like I have enough energy to create another portal, and if I did, I wouldn't know where to go.

I'm completely alone. The elf was transported to North, I'm sure of it. But I still want something here. The beach stretches for miles and there isn't a living thing in sight. I want True here to help me. I need him.

My fingertips rub together absentmindedly. I feel them getting hotter from the friction before a jolt shoots through my hand. I look down. They are sparkling with electricity.

"That's new." I remark to myself. I raise my hand up against the sky, and a miniature lightning bolt shoots up, disappearing like a cobweb blown away by the wind.

"Why is this important?" I ask the moon. The light reflects off the water in a picturesque way.

"I've figure out it's necessary in some way. The question's how." I say.

The moon doesn't answer. "Of course not. Trial and tribulations, right?" I mutter mutinously.

I raise both hands experimentally to the sky, like I'm giving it a double high five. The lightning bolts spark upwards, lingering this time. They shoot towards each other, creating a bit of a pyramid. I watch, mesmerized, as they get closer and closer and _boom!_

The shock wave throws me back, but the sand cushions my fall. I stare up at the beautiful white star formed by my electricity. It looks like it's from another world. And there are voices emanating from it.

"Down!" Pitch shouts, and I hear the crack of a whip. "Get down, you animal!"

There is a panicked whinny. "True!" I shout, and I hear cantering hooves.

"Stay away from me!" Pitch shouts, and I hear a whimper as the beat of wings resounds through the air.

True comes floating down from the star, heading straight for me. The moment he comes through, the star burns out in a flash of white. True lands a foot in front of me, and I smile as he presses his forehead to my chest. I wrap my arms around his neck.

"Good boy. I hope you bit him for me." I say to him, and his ears flick.

"Come on." I release him, and he tosses his head from side to side as though shaking off my sentiment. "We have some friends to save.

_Jack's POV_

"We'll assemble here, in the park. It's easily defendable and you can see anyone coming from on top of the hill." North says to me.

"We should get the elves and yeti and massive eggs to help." I point out.

"I'll go organize them." North pats my shoulder.

"North, wait." I say, and he pauses. "Why did you send away Clarity?"

North smiles. "She needed that trial to become a Guardian. Much like you did, she needed to get away, to figure out who she is, to explore her powers. I regret that it happened the way it did, but that was the way it needed to." He explains.

"Do you think she'll ever forgive me?" I ask hopelessly.

"I have a feeling she already has." North says.

I hear the shout of a child, and turn. Jamie runs toward me, Sophie trailing. "Jamie, no. Get back inside." I order.

"We want to help. The others are right behind us." Jamie says.

"It's too dangerous." I insist.

"We're supposed to protect you just as much as you protect us." Jamie says defiantly, and I sigh.

"You are too old for your age." I say and I point to Tooth. "Go to Tooth. She'll tell you what to do." Jamie smiles and scurries off to Tooth, Sophie stumbling behind.

In the distance, I hear thunder, ominous and sky breaking. I look for the lightning even though I know it doesn't exist.

"He's here." North says ominously as the other children tumble down the hill.

"We saw Pitch." Cupcake pants. "He's coming."

"Get behind us." Bunny says, and we stand in a line in front of them. The elves assemble in front, and the yetis get the outskirts. Everyone is armed, and everyone is ready. I don't feel ready. But I don't have a choice. You never do.

"I can see you found your workers, Santa. But no Clarity." Pitch says, and I see him come over the ridge.

"She jumped into the chasm, into one of her portals. Sadly, it was undetermined at the time. She could be in Timbuktu for all we know. Looks like your little star won't be helping you this time." He says, his voice slipping around our defenses like oil.

I hear the sound of a boomerang slicing through space. Pitch gags as one hits his Adam's apple.

"Bunny!" Tooth says.

"I got tired of listening to him." Bunny says, and I laugh.

"Let's finish this." I say, and we charge forward.

I'm immersed in black. Everywhere I look is black sand, growling horses, the occasional puff of gold as a nightmare is reverted to a dream. But they are too few; or, rather, the nightmares are too many. I can't find Pitch. If I could, I would end this, right now.

I whirl my staff into four nightmares at once, turning them dust. I spot Bunny leaping into the fray, boomerangs at the ready, and an elf whacking one on the head with a trumpet. But I also hear bellows of fear from the yetis, and a scream of rage from Tooth as one of her fairies is swallowed up. Someone grabs my shoulder.

"There are too many." North is breathing heavily.

"I can barely swing." I say, stabbing a nightmare through the heart. It dissolves into sand.

"We're becoming overrun. The elves are scattered, the yetis are becoming injured by the dozen, and Bunny took a beating a few seconds ago." North says as we work as a team, killing nightmares with every step.

"We are too powerful, aren't we, Guardians?" Pitch's voice booms, and I look up. In that moment, a nightmare flattens me to the ground. North is swept off his feet by its rampage as well. Pitch appears, on his mare, walking through the chaos toward us.

"I always wanted to destroy you two first." He smiles, and I notice a scythe in his hand. He brings it behind him, and I watch wide-eyed as he grins widely. If we're destroyed today, we have truly lost. And there's nothing I can do to stop the downward arc of Pitch's weapon.

Suddenly, a star appears in front of us, burning brightly. In that second, I hear the clang of metal. The glow fades slightly, and I see Clarity on True, shining like a lighthouse, blocking his scythe with only her bow. I hear her whisper something to Pitch, and she throws him back. As his horse skitters away, tendrils of electricity spiral from her body. They attach to the nightmares in closest range, and within a second, the entire first row of enemies is annihilated. True prances around to face us, and I see Clarity smile.

"Miss me?"


	21. Starlight Burns Brightest

**Only two more.:'( I've started both of my next fanfics, and the first chapters should be up by tomorrow (6/15/2013) or 6/16/2013. I'll probably post one more chapter of this story today, so keep your eyes open!**

**Love you all! Please review.**

**I realize that this on is sub-900 words, but I needed a cliffhanger! I love cliffhangers.**

Everything is dead quiet. I turn from Jack and North's stunned faces and turn around. Death stares at me with almost emotion in his eyes. And if I were to describe that emotion, I would say it was a mixture, of bitter hate and the strangest longing.

Pitch is staring straight at me with complete shock on his face.

"But, how?" He asks.

"Get with the program, Pitch. You couldn't beat me. I'm like a boomerang, or karma. I'm always going to come back." I say.

Death takes a step toward me. His throat vibrates in an unmistakable growl, and the nightmares surge toward me.

My eyes widen as a nightmare charges straight for me. True sidesteps, and I run my fingers through the black sand. It turns to yellow.

I see Death, standing unperturbed in the chaos. True gallops straight for him, and he raises his sword. I leap off of True, landing on the soft grass and rolling. True soars upwards, barely missing the sword as Death swings it upward. I face him, drawing an arrow. Somehow I don't quite think they are going to cut it.

"Clarity!" I hear a gruff voice says, and a blade arches over the nightmares toward me. I grab its hilt easily.

"This is much better." I say to myself, and a silver streak whistles towards my head. I swing upward instinctively, ignoring the sparks that skate into the air. Death chops at me again, and I block. The sword is too heavy. I know I won't be able to keep up the fight forever, but all I need is a couple more minutes. And a lot of luck.

Death swings again and again, whirling one direction then the other. Sweat begins to drip down my forehead slowly. I blink furiously to stop my eyes from stinging, and Death takes the advantage I've presented. He swings at my feet, and I jump out of reflex, landing neatly on his sword. Before I can register, he heaves upward, and I stumble back, tripping over a winding tree root. His hand pushes against my chest, and I gasp as lightning crosses my vision.

Death advances, and fear touches my hands. I grab my bow and arrow, and fit the arrow quickly. It flies forward, straight, true, and sinks into Death's stomach. He pauses, grasping the shaft.

_Jack's POV_

I saw her topple backwards, and Death pausing as the arrow enters his body. "Clarity!" I run over to her and she props herself up on her elbows.

"I'm fine." She stares at Death, who is cradling his stomach. "I think I know how to defeat him."

"What?"

"He touched me. I saw something I can't explain, but I know how to defeat him, I'm sure." She says.

"How?" I ask.

"I'll need your help." She says, one eye on Death. He's straightening up slowly.

"What do you need?" I ask.

"I need you to kiss me." She says, and my eyebrows almost connect in my confusion.

"Jack, if you really want to win, and if you have any feelings left for me, you need to kiss me."

"How?" I ask.

"Like you love me." She answers, and the breath I had been inhaling turns to fire. I lean down, my hand snaking around her neck, pulling her up to meet me.

I feel the fire and ice, always competing, melding together. I can't break free, and I don't want to. Clarity begins to glow brighter and brighter, and I shut my eyes. I feel her lips curl into a smile before the light on the inside of my eyelids goes supernova.

Finally, I tear myself away from her. She's fading to her normal glow, and she's still smiling, looking at Death. I turn, expecting him to be vaporized or lying on the ground or something, but he isn't. He isn't even him anymore. He has been transformed, into a glowing white angel-like creature with massive downy wings. My mouth drops open.

"Thank you." It whispers so quietly only Clarity and I hear. Its feet push off from the ground, and it soars into the sky, disappearing in another flash of light.

Clarity and I stand slowly, and she faces me. A second later, her arms wrap around my neck.

"We did it!" She exclaims as she hugs me.

"I think you did it." I say with a smile, and she releases me. She looks past us, and I glance back to see our friends, standing as a group, completely awestruck.

Clarity meets my eyes and smiles widely again. I hear a scream of rage and look behind her. In that moment, she stiffens, her smile waning. Her mouth opens in a small circle, a look of surprise.

"Jack." She whispers, and I scream her name.


	22. Born to be Clarity

**I lied! Final chapter, right here! Enjoy it while you can...:(. Okay so check out my Sherlock and Star Trek: Voyager fanfics. The first chapters will be up by tomorrow, and these will one: last longer, and two: won't have as frequent updates. Don't judge me for being a nerd o.0 lol. **

**A grand total (on my word doc) of 86 pages, 31,074 words, and 164, 375 characters.**

**Enjoy this and post your final reviews (and i'll go sob in a corner over all of them).**

**Thanks for reading Born to be Clarity!**

My back must be splitting open, ripping at the seams. I fall forward uncontrollably, and two shaking hands catch me. They lower me gently to the ground, and I see a bloody knife held in one as Jack leans over me.

I hear the sounds of the battle, tearing apart the deadly quiet.

"What the…hell are you…waiting for?" I gasp out. "Get him." Jack stares at me with utter fear in his eyes, and then he disappears from my vision. My eyelids really want to close, but if there is one thing I've learned from action movies, the injured that close their eyes never wake up.

_Jack's POV_

I charge straight for Pitch, the other Guardians and children fighting the nightmares back.

"You monster!" I yell, and I swing my staff toward him. Pitch's normally calm face is twisted in vicious elation and anger. It's more frightening than his scythe, or his knife still in my hand.

"Oh, come now Jack! Clarity will be happier where she's going! She never truly belonged here." He yells.

I block his scythe from slicing me in half. "No. This time, you're wrong!" I say.

Pitch's grin disappears as I press him backwards, each stroke clean and powerful. He's barely blocking my attacks now. I throw his knife at him, and he just stops it. He stares at me in shock, and I seize the moment, sweeping my staff under his legs. He falls backwards, and I hear a yell from behind. I look back, and hear the whir of a boomerang slice past my ear. Pitch shouts and falls back to the earth, and I press my staff to his throat before he can try to run.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Bunny says.

"He deserves it." I snarl.

Pitch's eyes widen. "P-please. I'm sorry. I never should have tried to usurp your power. I'm sorry about Clarity, okay? Please." He's begging for mercy. I feel so cold, heartless. He doesn't deserve leniency.

I raise my staff to exile him, make sure he'll stay dormant for a few hundred years, to end him, when I hear a soft voice.

"Jack."

I didn't think she would still be conscious, with all the blood she must be losing. I look at her, Tooth with her knees under her head, her green eyes pleading with me. Pleading with me to save the life of the man who took hers.

I meet Pitch's eyes again, and my lips twist into a grimace. "I'm not going to kill you, though I wish I could. You are banished from this world to your underground kingdom."

Pitch smiles slightly, and I shove the end of my staff into his throat.

"If you ever come up again, we will kill you for eternity, mate." Bunny says.

"I think Manny would agree." North says, and Pitch glances at the moon. He growls, and vanishes into thin air.

I run to Clarity's side. Jamie and the other kids are already surrounding her. "How is she?" I ask Tooth.

She shakes her head sadly. I look at Clarity's face, pale under her tan, and she smiles weakly. "Thank you." She says. I see True buckle next to her, and she rests her hand on his head.

"Why do you have to leave me?" I ask her.

"Destiny." She sighs, and she grips my hand tightly.

"Jack?" She sounds so afraid, so powerless. "I can't see the moon anymore."

"It's right there, in the sky. He's smiling at you." A tear falls down her cheek into her hair.

"You'll be honored by all of us for eternity. We'll never forget you." I whisper to her, a tear sliding down my face as well.

She doesn't answer. Her eyes stay fixed on the moon, and I realize that she isn't gripping my hand anymore. I'm the one holding tightly on, and Jamie starts to cry.

I keep holding her hand, even as it cools. I keep looking at her face even though I can't see through my tears.

"Jack." North whispers. I don't turn.

"Jack!" Tooth exclaims, and she pulls on my shoulders.

"What is your problem?" I say.

"Look." She points at Clarity, and I gasp. She's glowing. It isn't her sunlight yellow glow, but a cold, icy blue.

"The Man in the Moon." Bunny says, sounding awestruck, and the very air explodes.

I'm thrown in Tooth, who is flattened underneath me.

"Clarity!" I shout, shoving myself off her.

She's gone supernova, her radiance making it seem like day. She's also floating by herself. I look up at the moon, half expecting him to take her away.

Instead, she floats back down to the earth, folding gently into the ground. I grab her wrist. A pulse beats underneath my fingertips, and I laugh softly in surprise. Her chest heaves upward in a massive breath, and her eyelids rocket open. Her eyes begin wildly glancing from side to side.

"It's okay." I murmur, and she looks at me. Her eyes are panicked, but when she sees me, she smiles.

_Clarity's POV_

It's all over. I really did die and Jack bending over me was heaven.

Haha, not really. In reality, I'm in the hospital, sitting next to my brother. I only have five more precious minutes before I have to return with my friends to North's castle.

They are waiting with me, in the room, a respectful distance away. I don't care.

According to the nurses, Max will make a full recovery. A car, just like with me, hit him, only his accident wasn't fatal.

My mother looks better. She acts better too, better at her job and at visiting my brother.

I hear a knock on the door and stiffen before remembering no one can see me. A girl walks in wearing a shy smile. Max, awake at the moment, straightens immediately.

"Let's go." I say as they begin talking.

"You sure?" Jack asks.

"Yeah, I'm sure." I answer, and North opens the window. They all jump out, and soon it's just me. I look back at my brother. He's smiling, a real one, not fake. The girl is laughing at something he said.

I finally feel at peace. It's strange, how whole my body feels. I've died twice, lost my family, been given strange powers, faced a maniac, liberated death, found love and friends, and discovered who I am all within two months.

It's still overwhelming, now that I think about it.

I hop on the sleigh and North takes off. I curl up next to Jack, and he puts his arm around me. I still feel that odd sensation of burning and freezing simultaneously, but I've decided I like it. It reminds me of what I am.

"What are you thinking about?" Jack asks me.

"Something the Moon told me, about who I am." I answer, and Jack smiles.

"I know exactly who you are." He says, and he kisses me. My cheeks flush with embarrassment at the fact we are in a crowded flying sleigh, but I smile anyway.

When I hold his hand, it's as though my entire body becomes cold and catches on fire at the same time. We were never designed to be compatible, but you know what they say. Opposites attract.


End file.
